VW Sues GM for Defamation

05/13/96

In another chapter in the tale of alleged international industrial espionage, German automaker Volkswagen has filed a lawsuit for defamation against General motors and its German unit, Adam Opel. VW filed the defamation suit in Germany with the Frankfurt district court.

The defamation suit seeks compensation for statements that GM and Opel made at news conferences in Germany and the U.S. after filing a civil suit against VW. VW claims that those statements have damaged its reputation.

The civil suit that GM and Opel filed accuses VW's management of industrial espionage and conspiracy. The charges surround VW's purchasing and production chief Jose Ignacio Lopez. VW hired Lopez away from Opel, and GM claims that Lopez stole company secrets and delivered them to VW when he left. VW and Lopez reject the accusations.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel