Land Rover loses trademark bid to Defender design to the Ineos Group

Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) have recently lost their court bid against the Ineos Group to get the trademark rights for the shape of Defender SUV. The companies had to go to the courts due to an alleged intellectual property infringement over the design of the Ineos Grenadier’s. The Ineos SUV also comes with a boxy design similar to that of the Land Rover Defender, however, does come with a couple of tweaks to it. While it's not a clear cut copy of the vehicle itself the design did raise some eyebrows at the JLR headquarters.

A London court dismissed the appeal of the Tata Motors-owned British brand stating that the design wasn’t unique enough to warrant a trademark. Even the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (IPO chimed in with the same sentiments. The IPO stated that the shapes that consist of the design of the Land Rover Defender were not distinctive enough. The office further stated that while the design differences between the Defender and the Grenadier may appear significant to specialists, regular consumers may not even notice the similarities.

With the case lost this paves the way for the Ineos Grenadier to officially enter production and to freely go on sale in 2021. The Grenadier is similar in appearance to the Defender and comes as a rugged four-wheel-drive SUV that comes in a two-box shape. The Ineos Group states that the Grenadier evokes the African Safaris and excursions through the Australian outback. Which is to say that the soon to launch vehicle will be tough and ready for outdoor excursions. 

In response to the court loss, JLR has stated that it was disappointed by the ruling of the UK court and pointed out that the Defender’s shape has already been trademarked in several markets. With the failure to secure the design on its home turf this cour lost really hits hard for the Jaguar and Land Rover brand.