Land Rover lawsuit seeks to block sales of Audi, Porsche SUVs in U.S. over tech

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Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is attempting to block Volkswagen from selling a number of its SUVs in the U.S., alleging the German automaker infringed on a Land Rover patent for off-road vehicle technology.

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The lawsuit alleges VW copied Jaguar Land Rover’s patented Terrain Response technology, which controls the braking, engine, suspension, and transmission when driving on different surfaces.

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JLR spent a long time perfecting the system, mapping vehicle responses to more than 50 different surfaces during its development.

“JLR seeks to protect itself and its United States operations from companies that have injected infringing products into the U.S. market that incorporate, without any license from JLR, technology developed by JLR and protected by its patent,” the automaker said in filings with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

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According to JLR, its Terrain Response technology is what makes its sport-utility vehicles stand out against the competition from other SUVs, and the systems found on several Volkswagen Group brands’ SUVs, including those from Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini, infringe on that patent.

In a statement to technology website Engadget , a Volkswagen spokesperson said “The Volkswagen Group is examining the action in order to determine further steps. We will not comment any further regarding an ongoing proceeding at this stage.”

Jaguar Land Rover has also filed claims in courts in Delaware and New Jersey, in order to receive damage payments.