Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC), one of the world’s leading motorcycle and automotive manufacturers, recently filed a lawsuit against Luzon Ram Cycle or Ramas-Uypitching Sons, Inc. (RUSI), a Dumaguete-based corporation, for allegedly selling and distributing motorcycles which infringe on five Honda patent and industrial designs in violation of the Intellectual Property Code.
“The V-shaped front top cover, the center cover below the seat, the main pipe cover with winker hole and a triangle mouth, and the “Honda Wave 100” motorcycle introduced in 2005, are registered industrial designs of Honda motorcycles in many ASEAN countries including the Philippines,” said a Honda executive, who requested not be named. The same executive also mentioned that the frame structures of several RUSI motorcycle models were found to be identical to Honda's main frame motorcycle patent.
As RUSI continued to sell the motorcycle models in question despite a cease and desist letter addressed to its key officers, HMC procured additional motorcycle samples from the respondent's Lipa, Calamba, Antipolo, & Cainta outlets and took video footages & photographs of the facilities for further investigation.
The result of the investigation prompted a police raid in the defendant's Lipa outlet on Dec. 5, 2012. During the raid, lawyers, court officials, and policemen seized documents, tools and machinery, and more than 20 infringing motorcycle models.
Though RUSI submitted a Motion to Quash to the court, it was denied twice, in April and in July 2013.
HMC has filed several lawsuits against distributors over the years for selling motorcycles which infringe on its patent and industrial designs. HMC has also been initiating campaigns to bolster awareness on the proliferation of motorcycle copies as well as educate motorcycle users about safety standards.
“Manufacturers of motorcycle copies are prone to overlook quality control measures since they simply import and assemble parts and accessories. They have no research and development (R&D). The parts are manufactured using materials of inferior quality, so the probability of an accident occurrence is pretty high. On the other hand, Honda and other motorcycle manufacturers invest in R&D to ensure that products exhibit optimum performance,” said the Honda executive.
Honda is going Steve Jobs on local manufacturers. What's so special about V-shaped fairings that they has to be patented? Aero? At the speeds we're allowed to go both legally and as per the specs of the bike, aero doesn't make a difference. Drag? Some naked "business" bikes have even lower fuel consumption than Honda Wave 100 so drag isn't a factor either.
ReplyDeletePretty vain of Honda if they patented their V-things on the basis of brand rec or design. I mean it's their right. It's also akin to your typical hateful afternoon soap opera where the mayabang na kontrabida makes bembang the kawawang bida when she runs into her in their ka-love triangle's party wearing the same bestida.
RUSI should hire custom bike builders. We have an army of them in Southern Tagalog alone. I'm sure madami pa sa Dumaguete at Cebu. I'm pretty sure we can build better or at least better-looking bikes than Honda.
Patented po ata kasi yan kaya pwede nila makasuhan ang sinumang gumaya.
DeleteCopyright violation parang sa Home Work lang bawal mangopya and no hindi rusi ang gumagawa ng motor nila nirerebrand lng nila ang mga "chinabikes"
ReplyDeleteRusi bikes are just imported China bikes. Means any copying is already done in China.
ReplyDeleteYes, my Rusi 175, looks like a Honda but certainly has more problems than a Honda.
ReplyDelete