Chinese Court Rejects Reinstatement Of Honda Patent

September 25, 2002

Tokyo - Kyodo News reports that a Chinese court rejected Honda Motor Co.'s bid to have the government's patent office reinstate a motor scooter design patent it revoked in 2001.

The lawsuit was filed against the State Intellectual Property Office last July to protect the design of the "Stream," a popular scooter manufactured by Honda in China.

The design patent, obtained in 1994, was revoked in September 2001 by the State Intellectual Property Office at the request of several Chinese scooter manufacturers.

In China, widespread knockoff versions of Japanese motorcycles have been a major concern for Japanese motorcycle makers.