- International Trade Commission upholds November 2019 findings
- US import of Mahindra Roxor blocked
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has upheld a judge’s findings that the Mahindra Roxor is a copy of the Jeep Wrangler. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) won its bid for an order to block the US import of the Mahindra Roxor off-road vehicle. FCA revealed that the Roxor is a near identical copy of the Jeep with its ‘boxy shape, flat sides and rear body ending at about the same height as the hood.’
Back in November 2019, the judge ruled that the Roxor would infringe only on the trade dress of the Jeep as defined by six specific design elements and, not the registered trademarks of the Jeep's front grille. In response, Mahindra has said that the new models are not in violation and has alleged in a filing with the ITC, stating that FCA is trying to achieve a practical monopoly over the import and sale of components used in any boxy, open-topped, military-style vehicle.
Mahindra claimed that the 2020 Roxor facelift featured reworked design changes in cooperation with the ITC and added that the new models are not in violation. The Roxor is assembled at the Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Meanwhile, 50 per cent of model parts are sourced from India, thereby affecting Mahindra Roxor’s business in the US to a great extent.
