We are used to (mainly) European companies suing Chinese automakers for copyright infringement in relation to the design of their cars. Now, however, China’s Human Horizons is suing Renault and its Mobilize brand for trademark infringement over the similarities between Mobilize’s logo and the logo used by Human Horizons division HiPhi.
Human Horizons burst onto the scene a few years ago with the unveiling of its all-electric HiPhi X. It’s one of the most intriguing electric vehicles to be launched in China, and the hood features HiPhi’s branding logo, which consists of a vertical line with two curved lines on either side of it.
HiPhi and its parent company Human Horizons have applied for an injunction against Renault and its mobility brand Mobilize Beyond in a German court. According to HiPhi, the logo used by Mobilize Beyond on concepts and the Mobilize Limo sedan violates the trademark of its 2018 registered logo pic.twitter.com/p6HVz0yERK
— Greg Kable (@GregKable) January 20, 2022
Just a few months after the HiPhi X made its public debut, Renault unveiled its Mobilize EZ-1 prototype. It’s a radically different car from the HiPhi X, but it sports a logo consisting of a vertical line with two curved lines down the side. The main difference from the HiPhi logo is that Mobilize’s is tilted at 45 degrees and the curved lines are slightly larger.
Also Read: Renault Group’s Mobilize Limo is a Hi-Rising Electric Sedan Designed for Fleet Use
Auto Motor und Sport reports that Human Horizons believes the similarities between the logos could affect its European expansion plans. It filed an injunction with a German court in October 2021, ordering Renault to stop using the Mobilize logo. It is reported that a court case between the two companies is currently pending.
Human Horizons registered the HiPhi logo in various markets around the world in August 2018, while Renault patented the Mobilize logo in January 2021.
Available in both four- and six-seat configurations in China, the HiPhi X is proving to be quite popular. In the second half of 2021, 3,742 units were sold nationwide.
