Honda seeks damages over patent rights
Honda seeks damages over patent rights
JAKARTA (JP): Japanese automotive giant Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
said on Tuesday it was seeking damages from local importers of
Chinese motorcycles for infringing its patents by selling
products equipped with patented devices without its permission.
Katsuro Suzuki, who is the company's senior managing director
and chief operating officer for Asia and Oceania, said some of
the importers of Chinese motorcycles had admitted to importing
motorcycles equipped with Honda's patented decompression device,
thus infringing Honda patents.
"We have yet to decide on how much damages we should seek from
the importers for the losses resulting from these infringements.
We're still studying the matter," Suzuki told The Jakarta Post.
Three importers of Chinese motorcycles published an
announcement in several local papers, including the Post, over
the weekend saying that they had reached an "amicable settlement"
with Honda over the alleged patent infringements.
They did not, however, specify the terms of the so-called
amicable settlement.
"Chinese motorcycle producers in China have ensured that
imports in the future will use different engines and will not
infringe Honda's decompression device patent," the importers said
in a joint statement.
The three importers are PT Global Lestari Motorindo, PT
Vivamas Multindo Indusco, and PT International Image Inovator,
which respectively import Beijing, Vivamas Qingqi, and Hokaido
motorcycles.
Suzuki signaled, however, that there were still some importers
who had yet to admit to infringing Honda patents.
Honda launched a campaign to crack down on infringements of
its patents last year following a wave of Chinese motorcycle
imports. The Chinese motorcycles are much cheaper than their
Japanese counterparts.
Several months ago, Honda warned all importers against buying
Chinese motorbikes which had been illegally equipped with its
patented devices.
About 57 makes of Chinese motorcycle have entered the market,
since the government eased regulations on the importation of
completely built-up motorcycles in late 1999.
"We are hoping to settle the infringement cases as soon as
possible," Suzuki said following the launching of Honda engine
distributor PT Honda Lawadinata Power Products.
Honda Lawadinatana Power Products is a new joint venture
between Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and local firm PT Kodrat Adhimulia,
with Honda holding a 49 percent stake and Kodrat the remaining 51
percent.
The new company will become the sole distributor for Honda-
made water pumps, power generators, and electric lawn mowers.
The new company's president Johnson Putra Lawadinata said his
company projected sales of around 100,000 units this year. (03)