Hm?! Chinese company is trying to patent the original Mini Cooper

Is the original Mini Cooper a Chinese invention? The Chinese company Beijing Estek Technology agrees and tried to patent its design last year. Did it work?

No, that didn’t work. And that’s remarkable because, as we all know, China doesn’t take the intellectual property of Western companies very seriously. You may remember the Landwind X7, a direct copy of the Range Rover Evoque.

Range Rover Evoque and Landwind X7

Jaguar Land Rover went to the Chinese court in 2015, which ruled against the British manufacturer. The verdict was that the X7 was not a copy of the Evoque. After a long legal battle, JLR finally won in 2019 and the X7 was banned.

Mini by Beijing Estek Technology

Mini owner BMW has also taken legal action, filing a lawsuit against Beijng Estek Technology in July last year. Two months earlier, the latter had attempted to patent the design of an electric car similar to the Mini.

The Chinese State Intellectual Property Office has – rightly so, of course – sided with BMW. Beijng Estek Technology now has three months to respond to the verdict.

Ora Punk Cat resembles Volkswagen Beetle

However, the State Intellectual Property Office is not very consistent. Because last year it just approved a patent application from Ora. The Chinese brand of the Great Wall Group presented the Punk Cat in 2022, a clear copy of the VW Beetle.

Copying behavior of the Chinese auto industry

The Chinese auto industry has matured rapidly in recent years. In this respect, it is all the more striking that the copying behavior of the past has no end.

Some recent examples include the Hengtian L4600 (Toyota Land Cruiser), Hunkt Canticie (Range Rover), Beijing BJ80 (Mercedes-Benz G-Class), Huansu C60 (Lamborghini Urus), and Zotye SR8 (Porsche Macan).