Autoblog

Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry

Zach Bowman — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Government/Legal, Celebrities

While George Barris is preparing to sell his original 1966 Batmobile at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, another custom builder is attempting to stave off a copyright lawsuit. Mark Towle has been building Batmobile replicas through his business, Gotham Garage, for years, and has sold off two versions of the famous '66 TV car and at least one recreation of Bruce Wayne's ride from the 1989 film. His efforts have earned him a two-year legal battle with Warner Brothers subsidiary DC Comics, with the publisher claiming its copyright protection extends to "the overall look and feel" of the Batmobile and that Towle has violated those copyrights.

Towle's attorney, meanwhile, argues that DC Comics is attempting to rewrite copyright law by applying the protections to automobiles, which "do not qualify as sculptural works and are thus not eligible for copyright protection." If a judge decides the design elements found on the Batmobile are useful, the case will likely go Towle's way, as functional elements cannot be protected under US copyright law. But DC Comics contends the Batmobile is intellectual property and that Towle has profited from the company's efforts.

The custom builder says that a victory for DC Comics could "completely upend existing copyright law," and open the door for manufacturers to copyright any number of useful elements found on their products. What's more, anyone building a tribute to famous cars from the television or movie industries could find themselves in legal hot water.

Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW copyrights 2 Series, X2, M7, M10, etc.

Zach Bowman — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Europe, BMW, Luxury

BMW looks to be on something of a name-grabbing spree. The German automaker has reportedly trademarked a number of new vehicle names, including 2 Series, X2, M7 and M10 among others. Of course, just because a manufacturer lays claim to a name doesn't mean there's a production model around the bend, but the monikers at least give us an idea of what's being thrown around conference tables in Munich. While names like 2 Series, X2 and M7 are no real shock given the rumors we've heard as of late, it is interesting to ponder what an M10 might be.

The German manufacturer also planted its flag on awkward names like Compactive, Compactive Tourer and Urbanic. All of those badges could conceivably find a home on the new line of front-wheel drive BMW models set to be introduced in the near future. Check out the full list of trademarked names over at E90Post.com.

BMW copyrights 2 Series, X2, M7, M10, etc. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are these the patent filings for Volvo's S-Class-fighting S100 flagship?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Volvo, Luxury

There are luxury automakers, there are mainstream automakers, and then there are those in between. Volvo, we'd argue, is one of those marques that doesn't quite compete in the same market as, say, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus, but that looks as if it's about to change.

The Swedish automaker has been toying for years with the idea of building a new flagship to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Lexus LS, but while Volvo has dragged its feet on the prospect in the past, a series of what look like patent renderings that have leaked their way online give us what could prove the strongest indication yet of Volvo's intent.

For better or worse, the renderings bear the hallmark of recent Volvo designs like the Concept Universe (unveiled in Shanghai last year), the Concept You (showcased in Frankfurt) and the upcoming next-generation XC90 - complete with the gaping maw that seems to mock the face we make when we look at these examples of this particular styling direction.

Of course, given the big wheels, showcar grille, delicate mirrors and suicide rear doors (not to mention the overall form), it seems more likely we're looking at renderings for the Concept Universe rather than a production model in the making, but that just leaves us wondering what the patent filing is for. We'll just have to wait a while to find out one way or another.

Are these the patent filings for Volvo's S-Class-fighting S100 flagship? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi denied TDI trademark by European court

Noah Joseph — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Audi, Volkswagen, Diesel

As much as it has with the Quattro brand, Audi (and its parent company Volkswagen) have more recently turned the letters TDI into an emblem of what it stands for as an automaker. Think of those three letters and you could picture no other marque, that's how closely intertwined the two have become. But an attempt to enshrine that much in law has apparently failed.

According to Autobild, Audi went to the European Union courts in Luxembourg - on behalf of its parent company as well in its own right - to secure dominion over the TDI badge, but in a ruling this week, the judge ruled that the acronym is not theirs alone. Apparently the judge felt that the letters apply to a technology that is common with other automakers - namely turbocharged diesels with direct injection - and therefore rejected Audi's claim of ownership.

The company apparently owns the name in individual countries, so any attempt by a rival automaker to use the name would undoubtedly prove difficult. But as far as the European Union is concerned, it's not illegal.

Audi denied TDI trademark by European court originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti reportedly registers JX nameplate for trademark

Noah Joseph — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Crossover, Infiniti, Luxury

2011 Infiniti M56 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Automakers try their darnedest to keep future vehicles secret until they're good and ready to reveal them. But more often than not, something leaks. One of the best sources of future vehicle information turns out to be government officials, who have been known - whether through regulation or by accident - to make public the private plans revealed to them by automakers. Vice President Joe Biden's notoriously loose lips are one example; copyright offices are another.

In this case, potential plans for an upcoming new line from Infiniti have been revealed under the name JX. According to Car and Driver, Nissan has applied to trademark the names JX20, JX25, JX25h and JX30 at both the US and Canadian federal patent and trademark offices. Just what these model names signify is a matter of speculation, but if the existing EX, FX and QX are anything to go by, we should be looking at a crossover.

The numeric designations suggest the potential availability of a 2.0-liter four, a 2.5-liter V6, a hybrid and a 3.0-liter V6 (potentially a diesel), indicating that the JX would likely be rather compact in size. Sources speculate on a possible premium variant of the quirky Nissan Juke. But Nissan, for its part, reportedly claims the trademark registrations - like the XW35, PX35 and DX35 filed previously - are precautionary, registered in the event they should need them. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Infiniti reportedly registers JX nameplate for trademark originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler 200C patent drawings leaking out?

Zach Bowman — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Chrysler

We may have gotten our first glimpse at what the production version of the Chrysler 200C will look like. Website Noticas Automotivas is reporting that it has managed to get its hands on a slew of patent drawings of the car, and from what we can tell, the new, smaller four-door has stuck fairly close to the concept we first saw at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. That includes the car's stylish curled front fenders and bulging rear sheetmetal. It looks like the 200C will also wear similar shaped headlights, though whether they turn out to be as sharp looking as the LED/projection units on the concept remains to be seen.

We haven't heard a whole heck of a lot about the 200C since the car cropped up in the Motor City. With the Sebring finally on its way out for good, we knew that Chrysler had to be hard at work on a replacement - and if these patent drawings are any indication, the new model may just be the 200C. If Chrysler can manage to infuse the car with same attention to detail that we've seen in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and shove the new Pentastar V6 under the hood, it could be a force to be reckoned with. Head over to Noticas Automotivas to check out all of the patent shots.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Chrysler 200C EV

Gallery: Chrysler 200C Concept

[Source: Noticas Automotivas]

Chrysler 200C patent drawings leaking out? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights?

Michael Harley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Government/Legal, Porsche, Humor

Porsche AG is known for vigorously defending its intellectual property. It's understandable, as the company has spent more than half a century building its performance-oriented automotive brand around design patents, logos, and the company's familiar vehicle nomenclature. Crocs, Inc., on the other hand, is a shoe manufacturer credited with introducing the world to low-cost injection-molded foam footwear. Crocs does not build cars... um, thankfully.

What Crocs did do was name its popular sandal the "Cayman" (pictured at right). Of course, this set off all the alarms at Porsche as that name is already trademark registered by the automaker for its two-seat sports coupe. What followed next was expected... in mid-May, Crocs received a letter from Porsche notifying them of the alleged trademark infringement. At the end of July, Porsche filed a notice of injunction in German courts against the European use of the Cayman name by Crocs.

While we realize that few of our readers would ever confuse a pair of Crocs' Cayman with the Porsche Cayman, one has to wonder if Porsche is taking this a bit too far. Rumor has it that the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean are monitoring the situation and already working on their own legal defense... Hat tip to Freddy for the lead!

Gallery: 2010 Porsche Cayman

[Source: Deadline Watch]

Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That's Rich: Geely reportedly denies copying Rolls-Royce

Michael Harley — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: China, Government/Legal, Rolls-Royce, UK, Shanghai Motor Show

Geely GE - Click above for high-res image gallery

With gloved white fingers pointing in their direction, Geely Automobile is in full denial of British accusations. The independent Chinese automaker, which rolled out its luxurious GE model bearing more than slight resemblance to the Rolls-Royce Phantom at the Shanghai Motor Show, seems rather unconcerned. "As it were, they are actually different ... people may feel they are the same at the first glance, but the details are certainly different," Geely spokeswoman Zhang Xiaoshu told AFP.

Keep telling that to the good blokes at Rolls-Royce who are considering legal action against Geely. To most observers in the industry, the production-bound Chinese GE concept clearly borrows the Rolls signature grill, down-sloping rear deck, and the Flying Lady mascot. Unlike the Phantom, the Chinese variant is set to hit the market at a sliver of the cost of the exclusive Rolls. While imitation is often considered the most sincere form of flattery, the British evidently aren't cracking so much as a smile.

Gallery: Geely GE

[Source: Drive]

That's Rich: Geely reportedly denies copying Rolls-Royce originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked: Nissan 370Z Roadster patent drawings

Noah Joseph — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Europe, Government/Legal, Nissan

Click above to view the Nissan 370Z Roadster drawings

We're betting that automakers are getting plenty ticked off at the European Trademark Office, because it seems that bureau has more leaks than a colander. Following leaked drawings of the new Mazda MX-5, Mazda3 and Suzuki Kizashi, the latest to slip out appears to be the upcoming Nissan 370Z Roadster. Of course it's no surprise that Nissan is preparing to launch a convertible version, since the previous 350Z made for a very handsome roadster, and even its premium stablemate, the Infiniti G37, has now spawned a convertible version. But this would be our first glimpse at the shape the new Z-Z-Topless will take.

From the leaked process renderings, we can see that the 370Z will keep a soft top like its predecessor, rather than go with a retractable hardtop like the Infiniti. We trust the roof will be less leaky than the European Trademark Office, though. While the 350Z Roadster had a sloping rear deck, the new version appears to be more bulbous. Which looks better is a matter of taste, and this writer at least liked the old one, but we'll reserve final judgment for when it appears in the flesh at the New York Auto Show in April.

Gallery: Nissan 370Z Roadster patent renderings

[Source: The Motor Report]

Leaked: Nissan 370Z Roadster patent drawings originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes tries to burst Shuanghuan's tiny Bubble, gives up

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, China, Europe, Government/Legal, Hatchback, BMW, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes decided to sue Shuanghuan Automotive for copyright infringement for its Bubble microcar (called the Noble in China), claiming it was a copy of the smart fortwo. BMW then decided to bring its own case against Shuanghuan, citing the Shuanghuan CEO as a blatant facsimile of the BMW X5 (that's the CEO on the wall in the above picture). Mercedes got the Bubble banned from display at a couple of auto shows, BMW won its copyright infringement lawsuit in Munich, and Mercedes sued the Bubble's importer, Martin Motors of Italy, to block sales of the car.

It was all looking good... until BMW lost its case in courts in Munich and in China. The Italian court ruled that "consumers could not get confused" when similar vehicles are offered "with a significant price difference." With BMW cold knocked out in the Copyright Cage Match, Mercedes has been left alone in the octagon with Shuanghuan bearing down on it. It also hasn't helped that Italian commentators have already said they don't think the two cars will be confused.

Now Mercedes is looking for an exit. Martin Motors countersued Mercedes for €100,000,000 - around $134.2 million USD - citing potential lost Bubble sales (that's a lotta Bubbles), and Mercedes doesn't want to lose its case and have to fork over colossal damages. Both sides expect the case to be resolved in a couple of weeks, and Bubbles are expected to go on sale this summer.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Mercedes tries to burst Shuanghuan's tiny Bubble, gives up originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW loses Clonewars Italian court battle

Michael Harley — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, China, Europe, Government/Legal, Crossover, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Smart

Take a close look at the image. A court in Italy has just ruled that the crossover pictured above, the five-seat CEO built by Shuanghuan Automobile of Shijiazhuang, China, is not a clone of the BMW X5. Um... yeah. The legal battles began when Shuanghuan introduced their "Noble" last year, a near-clone of the Smart fortwo. Mercedes-Benz wasn't impressed, and threatened a lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, BMW started losing sleep over the Chinese CEO, an obvious facsimile of their previous-generation X5 (E53). The Bavarian automaker took Shuanghuan to court in Munich this past summer and won their case, and when Martin Motors (the distributor of Shuanghuan Automobiles in Italy and central Europe) started selling the CEO in early 2007, BMW again took legal action, this time in the Italian judicial system.

Last week, the Germans met their defeat when the Italian courts rejected their claims. To date, Martin Motors has sold about 200 copies of the CEO and expects to sell about 1200 this year in their European markets. "We are convinced the CEO wasn't a clone of the X5. We are happy to see our view supported by a court ruling," said an obviously pleased spokesperson from Martin Motors. We have to wonder how quickly the Italians would change their tune if Shuanghuan began to knock-off the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

BMW loses Clonewars Italian court battle originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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