The Hindu Business Line : ‘Bajaj will defend intellectual property rights’

Pune, Sept. 3 Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) is preparing to defend its intellectual property in the event a rival’s product that uses the Digital Twin Spark ignition (DTSi) is eventually introduced.

In a statement, the company has said that use of the DTSi technology in small automotive engines is worthy of intellectual protection. “If evaluation of the actual product appears to suggest reasonable grounds for infringement, Bajaj will take all necessary steps to safeguard its interests as also to inflict the maximum permissible damage upon the offender so as to set an effective precedent,” it says.

It has clarified, that it applied for a patent in the Indian market on July 16, 2002 and was granted approval via patent number 195904 on July 7, 2005. “If there exists any application for revocation of this patent, details of the same are not known to Bajaj,” the statement issued by Mr S. Sridhar, CEO, Two-wheelers, BAL, has said.

The company expects approval of its international patent applications in various foreign countries subsequent to its application PCT/IN03/000348 dated October 30, 2003.

Mr Sridhar pointed out the instance where the Sri Lankan distributor of Chinese manufacturer Taian Chiran Machinery Co Ltd was instructed by the High Court of the Western Province, Sri Lanka, to withdraw its copy of the Bajaj Pulsar from the market. “Domestic manufacturers may adopt similar methods in India,” he said, adding that any attempt to infringe would be dealt with strongly.