WASHINGTON – The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) said Monday it is opening an investigation into whether Volkswagen AG has infringed Jaguar Land Rover patents for a system used for off-road driving.
In November, Jaguar Land Rover, a division of Tata Motors, filed a complaint with the ITC to prevent the import of some VW Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi models with ‘certain vehicle control systems’ that allegedly infringed its patents for its terrain. Response system.
Models include the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad and E-Tron vehicles and the VW Tiguan. The ITC said it has not made a decision on the merits.
VW said in a statement that it is investigating the action and determining next steps.
“We will of course work with the investigating authorities. While we cannot comment on the details of the proceedings, we strongly believe the claims are of no merit and we will vigorously defend our position,” VW said.
Many automakers offer a range of off-road powertrain controls, but JLR claims Volkswagen’s technology is more than just comparable.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said the vehicles “have used JLR’s patented inventions without payment or authorization”, specifically a patent for an “improved system for driving a vehicle on different driving surfaces, especially off-road”.
JLR says its Terrain Response technology uses proprietary technology to maximize performance on off-road riding surfaces, including grass, snow, mud, sand and rocks.