At JLR’s request, a Dutch court ordered the preservation of evidence at BYD in August. The bailiffs then obtained digital documents at the car manufacturer’s offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp. The suspicion is that BYD may have dismantled a Defender and reverse-engineered its individual technologies for use in the development of the BYD Ti7. It is not yet clear whether this suspicion can be substantiated, as both companies declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
JLR has now suffered an initial legal setback in the case. On November 11, a court in The Hague decided to lift a previously ordered evidence preservation measure. JLR must now destroy digital documents confiscated from BYD in the Netherlands in August. Otherwise, the British car manufacturer faces a penalty payment of 50,000 euros per hour, with a maximum limit of 500,000 euros.
BYD had complained about the seizure of its digital documents, criticizing its scope. The company argued that numerous confidential business documents unrelated to the conflict had also been seized.
Court rules that searches of BYD offices were unnecessary
The court largely sided with BYD. It considered that the preservation of evidence was not necessary to prove the alleged violation of EU design rights for the Defender, as claimed by JLR. Documents were also not required to assess possible damage: BYD has not yet sold the Ti7 in the European Union, so no economic damage caused by the model is visible. Additionally, the judge ruled that BYD had met its obligations to cooperate during the seizure. As a result, the British car manufacturer did not receive the 500,000 euros demanded by JLR. In addition, JLR must reimburse BYD for legal costs in the amount of 25,376.57 euros.
Still, the ruling does not mean that the court has dismissed the design copying allegations. This week’s hearing addressed only whether the search was legal. JLR submits its claims in separate proceedings. In The Hague, the focus is on a possible violation of EU design rights by the Defender, while in Rotterdam, the case concerns copyright infringement and alleged unfair imitation. To date, no decision has been made regarding these accusations.
BYD Ti7 will be launched in Europe in January 2027
The BYD Ti7 has been available in China under the Fang Cheng Bao brand since September 2025 and was recently among the top 10 best-selling cars. Its angular body, upright front end and square wheel arches resemble the Defender. In the UK, the model will be offered as a seven-seater from January 2027. The planned plug-in hybrid version combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with electric motors. System power is 300 kW and BYD says the 35.6 kWh battery provides up to 119 kilometers of WLTP electric range. The starting price is £47,995, significantly lower than the minimum £68,465 required for a seven-seat Land Rover Defender 110.
JLR and China
The former British carmaker, owned by Tata, has already taken a Chinese car company to court over copyright infringements. In 2019, JLR won a dispute against Jiangling Motor over the Landwind X7.
While Chinese brand Freelander has a vehicle that looks remarkably similar to JLR, this resemblance is both deliberate and legal, thanks to JLR’s long-standing joint venture with Chinese electric car maker Chery.
JLR’s involvement with Chery dates back to 2014. In 2018, Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) invested 7 billion yen (more than 900 million euros) in the local development and production of electric cars. This led them to convert their existing facilities in Changshu into an electric vehicle testing, R&D and manufacturing site. In 2024, JLR and Chery created the Freelander joint venture brand. The same year, JLR signed an agreement allowing the Indian-owned British company to use Chery’s electric platform. More recently, Freelander unveiled its Concept 97 in Shanghai.
Including reporting by Carrie Hampel
agroportaal.nu (ruling in Dutch), theguardian.com, carnewschina.com, carscoops.com
