Jakarta District Court dismisses BYD Tengshi trademark lawsuit

In a legal dispute between BYD and PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi (WNA) over the Denza brand trademark, the Central Jakarta District Court rejected BYD's claim against WNA's use of the "Denza" trademark and awarded BYD approximately Rp 1.07 million in litigation costs. The District Court of Central Jakarta rejected BYD's claim against WNA's use of the trademark "Denza" and awarded BYD to bear about 1.07 million rupiahs in litigation costs.On January 3, 2025, BYD filed a lawsuit against WNA in the Central Jakarta District Court for the use of the "Tengse" trademark in Indonesia. "Tengshi" is BYD's premium automobile brand, which was unveiled at an Indonesian automobile exhibition in 2024. BYD has registered the brand and its patents globally since 2012 and in 2023 in Indonesia, while WNA pre-empted the registration of the "Tengshi" trademark in Indonesia on July 3, 2023, with a validity period until 2033, and WNA has been using the "Tengshi" trademark in Indonesia since then. The Full Court ruled, based on 132 pieces of evidence, that the principle of territoriality in trademark law does not automatically grant BYD legal protection in Indonesia, even though BYD has registered the "Tengis" trademark in more than 100 countries, and that trademark protection is only valid in the country in which it is registered and legally recognized. BYD Indonesia's Head of PR and Government Relations confirmed the lawsuit, emphasizing that the WNA was unilaterally and illegally registered in 2023 and is not in the same industry. At the same time, it expressed its respect for Indonesia's legal process and hoped to use it to safeguard intellectual property rights and promote the development of the automotive industry.