Dutch Court Orders Jaguar Land Rover to Destroy Documents Seized From Chinese Carmaker BYD

A court in the Netherlands has ordered luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to destroy documents and digital records seized from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD during a legal dispute over allegations that BYD copied the design of the iconic Land Rover Defender.

The dispute centres on BYD’s Ti7 SUV, which JLR claims infringes its European design rights. In August, JLR obtained court authorisation to seize records from two BYD offices in the Netherlands, seeking evidence of alleged design copying and reverse engineering. However, on November 11, the District Court of The Hague ruled that the seizure was unnecessary, noting that BYD had not yet sold the vehicle in the European Union.

The court ordered JLR to instruct the destruction of the seized material within 24 hours of formal service of the judgment, with penalties of €50,000 per hour for non-compliance, capped at €500,000. JLR was also ordered to pay BYD approximately €25,377 in legal costs, while the court rejected a separate attempt to impose €500,000 in penalties on BYD over its alleged failure to cooperate during the seizure.

The ruling represents a procedural victory for BYD but does not establish whether the Ti7 copied the Land Rover Defender or infringed any intellectual property rights. Those questions remain unresolved in separate legal proceedings. The case highlights growing tensions between established European automotive manufacturers and rapidly expanding Chinese competitors as they compete over vehicle designs, technology and global markets.