The Funny War Between BYD and Jaguar Land Rover

Do the right angles of the Defender warrant a legal battle? For Jaguar Land Rover, the resemblance to the BYD Ti 7 clearly goes beyond mere stylistic trend.

However, Jaguar Land Rover’s offensive has suffered an initial setback. This week, the court in The Hague ordered the lifting of a seizure of documents at its Chinese competitor. This decision did not resolve the alleged copying issue.

The case took a dramatic turn in August. With judicial authorization, bailiffs seized data from BYD’s Dutch offices: launch plans, technical and commercial information. Kept by an independent third party, these files were not directly handed over to JLR. BYD denounced an excessive collection of confidential information, in other words, a true “fishing expedition.”

Resembling is not copying

The judge deemed this data unnecessary for assessing the similarity between the vehicles. As for the claimed commercial prejudice, the Ti 7 has yet to be sold in the European Union. Therefore, JLR must order the destruction of the files within 24 hours after the judgment is served, under a penalty of 50,000 euros per hour, capped at 500,000 euros. A certificate must then confirm their deletion.

Behind this procedural battle looms a much more concrete commercial confrontation. In Europe, BYD is announcing its large seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV at around 50,000 euros. On the agenda: 408 hp and an estimated electric range of about 119 kilometers. Orders have been open since July, but the first deliveries to customers are expected in January 2027. This could explain the nervousness, without prejudging any potential infringement.

For BYD has only won a round. JLR continues its proceedings in The Hague concerning the rights protecting the design of the Defender, and in Rotterdam regarding copyright and slavish imitation. The court has disarmed one seizure, but it has not given a free pass to the Chinese SUV.

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