Losing Denza Trademark Dispute, BYD Registers Danza Name in Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The name Denza came under the spotlight after its trademark dispute escalated to the Supreme Court (MA). Amid this controversy, BYD Company Limited has filed an application for another trademark, namely Danza, in Indonesia. According to data from the Intellectual Property Database of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, the application is registered under number IDM001414073. The document shows that the Danza trademark covers various types and components of vehicles, from brake pads, car bodies, buses, motor vehicles, autonomous cars, to electric vehicles for land transportation, including car chassis as well as trucks and forklifts. Additionally, BYD Company Limited has filed another application under the same trademark name with registration number IDM001426542 for class 37. This category includes services such as vehicle repair, washing, lubrication, maintenance, to battery charging and electric vehicle charging, including anti-rust treatment. The Denza trademark dispute in Indonesia has been finalised with the cassation decision Number 1338 K/Pdt.Sus-HKI/2025. In this ruling, the Supreme Court rejected BYD’s cassation request and granted PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi’s request. The decision also strengthens the earlier ruling by the Central Jakarta District Court, which rejected BYD’s lawsuit in April 2025. In the case, BYD sought recognition as the rightful owner of the Denza trademark globally, while designating Denza as a well-known trademark. The company also argued that there was essential similarity with the registered trademark owned by PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi, and accused the defendant of bad faith in the registration process. However, the Supreme Court rejected all claims and affirmed that the ‘first to file’ principle remains the primary foundation in Indonesia’s intellectual property law. PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi registered the ‘Denza’ trademark rights on 3 July 2023 with registration number IDM001176306 and obtained protection until 3 July 2033. Meanwhile, BYD’s registration of the Denza trademark in Indonesia was only done on 8 August 2024, before the company finally introduced its premium electric vehicle line Denza in Indonesia in January 2025. However, as of the publication of this news, BYD Indonesia has not provided any statement when contacted by Kompas.com editorial team.