Britain's Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched legal action against China's BYD over suspected intellectual property infringement related to the Ti7 sports utility vehicle. JLR has raised not only similarities in design to the Land Rover Defender but also the possibility that BYD reverse-engineered technology during vehicle development, deepening tensions between the companies.

InsideEVs reported on Nov. 9, local time, that JLR is pursuing legal procedures in the Netherlands, saying BYD may have infringed intellectual property linked to the Defender.

In August, bailiffs, acting on a court order, secured digital materials related to the Ti7's development from two BYD offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in the Netherlands. The move was reported as an evidence-preservation measure to prevent related records from being deleted or damaged.

JLR's complaint is not limited to the vehicle's appearance. The Times reported that JLR suspects BYD engineers may have dismantled a Defender and analysed its internal technology for use in developing the Ti7.

Automakers commonly dismantle rival models to analyse structure and performance as part of research and development. But using legally protected technology such as patents without permission can raise an intellectual property infringement issue.

BYD's legal representative was reported to have pushed back, saying the scope of the secured materials was excessively broad. A Dutch court is due to hear related proceedings in The Hague on Nov. 11. It has not been legally established so far that BYD infringed intellectual property rights.

The Ti7 is a seven-seat SUV launched in China in September last year under BYD's Fangchengbao brand. Its boxy body and straight-line design have drawn comparisons with the Land Rover Defender.

BYD plans to launch the Ti7 in the British market in January next year. The local starting price is 47,995 pounds ($86,637,200 won), about 20,000 pounds ($36,102,600 won) cheaper than the 68,465 pounds ($123,590,000 won) starting price of the comparable Defender 110.

JLR has previously pursued legal disputes to protect its designs. It won a lawsuit in 2019 against the Landwind X7 made by China's Jiangling Motors, arguing it was overly similar to the Range Rover Evoque, but it lost a dispute with Britain's Ineos.

The key issue in the case goes beyond simple design similarities and is whether BYD actually used protected Defender technology. Both companies did not provide detailed positions, citing ongoing legal proceedings.