August30
China Automobile Deutschland, the company accused of stealing designs from BMW and Smart, has rejected the claims against it, stating that it had approval from the Chinese government to build the cars as its defense. “Noble and CEO cars, approved by the Chinese government, are legal products,” a spokesperson for China Automobile Deutschland told reporters. BMW and Smart threatened to sue China Automobile Deutschland if they showed either car at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month, something the spokesperson said the company has no intentions of doing.
It appears that China Automobile Deutschland — the same company Mercedes-Benz is considering suing over a ForTwo look-alike — might be facing similar legal action from BMW. China Automobile Deutschland's latest SUV, dubbed the CEO, draws a strong resemblance, especially from a rear and side profile view, to the last-generation BMW X5. The CEO is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
According to Automotive News, BMW considering legal action if the CEO is unveiled and may attempt to halt distribution of the SUV in Europe. The IAA, the governing body for next month's show, has regulations in place that would require copyright violators to remove its products, and its entire exhibition space, from the show floor if a court-imposed injunction is filed.
both are blatant copies - They both should easily win the suit
they scanned the x5 profile and did a minor facelift of their own..front looks pretty much like lexus rx330
Do the consumers in China have no shame? If such a vehicle existed in more developed markets, people would be embarrassed to be seen in them.
This is a stupid suit. Look at trunk of 2003 7 series. It looks like KIA or Hundai, but neither one is suing bimmer. The truth is that auto designers, like fashion designers, steal each others ideas. All cars now have "smiling" faces. Failed Subaru fascias are lifted from Alfa by their chief designer who worked for Fiat.
Let consumer and market decide what they like and want to drive. Looks are difficult to patent or copyright.
So they can't show in Frankfurt, as if they'll really be bothered, they'll still sell like hotcakes in China. Consumers in China have about as much shame as they have cash, and the manufacturers will be laughing all the way to the bank with a population of 1,000,000,000 - they won't give a xxxx what happens at a German auto show.
goo go go go sue these motherxxxxxxx. wipe them off the face of the earth.
JSP - yes, but this isn't a developed market. It's communist China for God's sakes. Nearly everything China makes is a knockoff of another product… LLN is pointing out just two example here. There are perhaps nearly 50 such knock-off being bought by consumers in China (and I'm not even exaggerating).
It would be nice to see the Chinese develop their own style. I can see some Chinese citizen laughing all the way to the bank over his lookalike BMW knockoff until another vehicle crashes into him. Then no one will be laughing.
it might actually be embarrasing for BMW if they win this.
autonut….if BMW did copy a trunk, i think its a little bit different than this Chinese company copying almost the entire car.
To tell you guys the truth, I have never seen one single good thing come from China, aside from cheap labor.
Wipe this automanufacturer off the FACE OF THE EARTH. Demolish them, put them through the moose test, sue their arses for their copying designs.
I would be ashamed to be seen in a knockoff like this, like already mentioned.
Autonut, Subaru didn't steal Alfa Romeos design I don't believe. Walter de'Silva who worked on Alfa Romeos trademark grill also worked on SEATS grill. I'm not sure about Subarus, but aside from the overall shape they differ very much so, and same goes for the 7 series trunk (I don't see the similarities in the first place).
And Got Handling?, when they're considering entering a global market, and yet get kicked out of Frankfurt Auto Show it's a large deal. The Chinese market I consider more important than other markets aside from India at the current time being, but if they want to in the future people will remember that empty showspace that was to be filled with copies of BMW and Mercedes that got their arses sued and slammed into the ground.
"To tell you guys the truth, I have never seen one single good thing come from China, aside from cheap labor."
Pasta? Gunpowder? 50 cents perfect DVD copies?
"they want to in the future people will remember that empty showspace that was to be filled with copies of BMW and Mercedes that got their arses sued and slammed into the ground."
They won't care… just like how the crap products Japanese puts out after world war 2 are long forgotten and they will be in the midst of cheap reliable and safe Chinese cars of the future. History will repeat itself. As for the lawsuits, if Honda couldn't win their CRV knockoff case at the Chinese court, how will BMW and MB? Lawsuits yes, slammed to the ground is impossible. You guys need to understand that people in China think differently than westerners in that if they can get it cheaper they'll go for it, even if it's a blatant knockoff.
Thats probably lead paint all over it.
Unreal, when is the last time China had an original idea?
Do the Chinese really take pride in being second rate copy cats? Pathetic.
Veda, pasta is Italian… well, good pasta anyways…………. did you mean like Mr. Noodles or something??
I'm so sick of seeing this! On that other story about MB maybe suing, someone posted a link of 10 cars that have been copied by the Chinese! PISSES ME OFF like I cannot even tell you!! They tried -and failed- to copy a Rolls!! It was just ugly, thas all!! They should totally be sued!
And I saw their new tPhone……… it's a blatant ripoff of the iPhone and it looks pretty slick (there's a video on YouTube about it) but damn, if I ever caught someone using it pretending it was a real iPhone, I'd REAM them out!! What a loser somebody has to be to buy a cheap ass knockoff of something cool.
Kia, for example, is different. With them it's the same basic idea as a BMW but with slightly less good looks (Bangle has done some bad stuff lately) and for an affordable price! Fine, thas good! But this knockoff xxxx has to stop!!! It gets me so mad!!
None of you should be surprised. China is known across the globe for cheap knock offs. The entire population feeds on it. Perhaps because most of them cannot afford the real thing. Who knows. Hopefully no Westerners will purchase such cars, and with any luck they may choose to do things differently. Im sure it will continue.
hahaha…you guys vent all you want. This is going to sell like hot cakes in China. Like Veda said, Chinese people think differently than westerners. They rather pay 20k for a knock off than 60k for a real one. That's a lot money saved!
Agreed odie. I'm all for the cheap knockoff. Maybe I want to buy that cheap Rolls knockoff and go offroading with it? Maybe I want to buy that CEO and do a little demolition derby with it? I like the idea…
Great. I hope this forces them into backruptcy. F*cking copycat pigs.
Alright Veda, gunpowder, firecrackers, I could list quite a few Chinese innovations. My point is in the current date of time, the large majority of Chinese products are simply put, junk.
Well, they're trying to enter into other markets, aren't they Veda? When they do, I would enjoy seeing one of these vehicles put through the moose test for the whole world to see.
And no, maybe not everyone will remember, but it will loose trust in the ones that do for 10 years. The Japanese had to come a long way, and into a ripe market for their vehicles to gain the trust of the American people. Same for Hyundai and Kia. It's not impossible to give a blow to these automanufacturers, and I see they're in a developing market, but forget the consumers for a second… it's down right sleazy for the automanufacturer to make such a blatant copy of a vehicle! It's unfortunate they won't remember.
I agree with the general idea that these companies should come up with their own designs, but both of these expamles are close but not exact enough to win a lawsuit against a Chinese company in China. And lets face it, neither the Smart knockoff nor X5 knockoff is close enough or handsome enough to fool anyone ever. Daimler and BMW should just save their money. I did see a Nissan Maxima knock off a few years back that was an EXACT replica of the Nissan, down to the creases in the doors and everything. That was shameful and hopefully Nissan found a way to make them stop.
So the real question then becomes: Would a CEO buy a CEO?
Or, similarly, in days gone by: Would a Diplomat have bought a Diplomat? (made by Dodge)
I'm sorry… last one.
Would a true Celebrity have bought a Celebrity?
The West should go to war with China over ALL of their blatant copying…..
Not to mention ridiculous piracy
Autonut.. You're right, there is a resemblance between the trunk of Hyundai and the Bimmer.. but get your time-line straight. The 7 series was out first.
China is the bootleg mecca of the world. It's time someone steps to them.
A bunch of whining kids here.
I'm sick of BMW copying all those Chinese designs. Dang Germans can't do anything original.
Jesus H. Christ. How could a company called China Automobile DEUSTCHLAND not be copying German designs?!?!?
Kill the Chinese auto industry now…and that's not funny RicardoHead.
This is really unfortunate, that these companies are such jack asses. Just because their in the boundaries of Chinese laws doesn't make it right, I don't care if they think differently, or if the Chinese have no shame over there, I just want to kick them in the ass and I'm sure BMW and SMART would love to do that too.
I'm happy to see though they're not going to be showing up at Frankfurt, or any other auto shows any time soon. I seriously hope people remember these companies, and don't argue that the Japanese were once like the Chinese when they were a growing automotive industry- they followed trends, but I don't remember anything so blatantly copied to where body panels could be shared, etc.. And even so, I care less if the Japanese once did it, I hope they never get a foothold in ANY markets other then their own.
Allow them to sell these tin cans in their own country. Set up trade barriers where, through copyright legislation, these pieces of junk cannot be sold in any other country.
what the xxxx do ya'll consider westener's? they won't be solded here in the states.
Wow… now they're hiding behind their government. These guys are ready to go to war.
solded?
the chinese likes to copy big brand products and sell them to idiots who get tricked into thinking its the real deal or they just dont care. its done here in the states too just go visit your local chinatown.
Typically chinese, but as long people buy that chinese crap, they'll keep on building them.
Both pictures look like copies to me. The original design by BMW and Smart were not the best looking cars to begin with so why the Chinese automaker chose to make its versions even uglier is besides me. I hope BMW and Smart win their lawsuit against China Automotive Deutschland. What is ironic is China Automotive Deutschland or CAD which is another term for Computer Aided Design is something China Automotive has not used.
Welcome to the world of the Chinese legal system.
We rule and you deal with it…..Or we put you in jail.
By the way, do you have any good kidneys or eyes or heart ??
Approval from the Chinese government doesn't count for anything in regard to possible copyright infringement(s).
put simply..fuck em all
Approval from the Chinese government would mean everything if BMW or Benz were to try to sue these manufacturers in the only market where they will see significant sales - China.
I thought China has no copyright laws. So wouldn't a lawsuit fail anyway?