LML Looks to Sue Bajaj Over ‘Freedom’ CNG Bike
Bajaj made waves earlier this by announcing the first commercially available CNG bike, but now it could be sued because of it
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The world’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) motorcycle was understandably big news, and it was India’s Bajaj taking all the plaudits for it.
It’s a bike, though, that could land the automotive giant in hot water, after the parent company for scooter maker LML has filed to sue Bajaj in the Delhi High Court. The court case doesn’t relate to any of the technical details or intellectual property used in the creation of the bike, instead, it’s in relation to its name.
SG Corporate Mobility (SGCM) Pvt Ltd, the parent company of LML, is suing because of the unauthorised use of the ‘Freedom’ trademark in the Bajaj bike’s name. LML released the Freedom in 2002, and a number of subsequent models after that including a face-lifted Freedom DX in 2013. The LML Freedom is a fairly bland bike, boasting a little over 100cc, and boasting around 8bhp. It was low tech and low performance, but it was a strong seller in the Indian market, which holds cheap and cheerful models such as this in very high regard.
Because of this, the Freedom nameplate was quite well-known among Indian bikers, making Bajaj’s use of the name a slightly confusing one. Adding to SGCM’s desire to protect the Freedom name is its plan to revive the Freedom name on more PTWs in the future. Financial Express reports that the firm is readying a range of electric scooters that are set to be built by its technical partner Saera Electric Auto, the company that built some Harley-Davidson models sold in the Indian Market.
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