In the present era, semi-autonomous features like crash-avoidance technology and hands-free driving are becoming hotly contested battlegrounds as car manufacturers seek to boost the prices. In the same context, there’s a trademark dispute between two automakers that we are going to discuss here.
Ford Motor Company (a US-based multinational automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford) and General Motors (a US-based automotive multinational corporation founded by William C. Durant) are looking forward to settling a Trademark Dispute (out of court) over the branding of their hands-free driving technology.
The lawyers for both the companies involved have informed a San Francisco federal judge that they are attempting to work well on the settlement terms and would undoubtedly report back to court within two months if in case an accord isn’t reached.
The counterattack legal battle began this year in July when General Motors sued Ford for infringing upon its trademarked driver-assistance technology. According to the company, it took legal action against Ford to safeguard its ‘Super-Cruise’ brand and ‘Cruise,’ (which is the name of its self-driving affiliate called Cruise LLC) after Ford gave a new name to its Co-Pilot360 automated driving system – ‘BlueCruise.’
Ford hit back at GM by asking the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to deprive the company of the two trademarks in question. It argued by saying that the whole automobile industry should be allowed to use the word ‘cruise’ freely for describing the driver-assistance technologies. To make its point stronger, the company also stated that the USPTO doesn’t usually register words or phrases as trademarks that are commonly used.
The first time GM introduced Super Cruise, which enables the drivers to take their hands off the wheel for brief periods, was on the Cadillac CT6 ( a full-size luxury car manufactured by Cadillac) in 2017. Ever since then, General Motors has expanded the technology significantly to enable cars to change lanes on their own. The company also has plans to offer this feature in more models. In 2020, Ford disclosed its plans of offering its BlueCruise hands-free driving technology in its F-150 pickup truck, which is also the top-selling vehicle in the United States. Furthermore, it is also offering the technology in its electric Mustang Mach-E as an over-the-air software update. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com
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