Witness the supreme creativity of the Chinese car company Geely. LOL




China's car industry is infamous for its tendency to 'borrow' details from European carmakers, often to the point where the word 'clone' is used with some accuracy. The latest car to catch legal heat for the practice: Geely's GE, a remarkably obvious take on the Rolls Royce Phantom.

But Geely doesn't see the similarity that's got Rolls Royce considering legal action. Geely spokeswoman Zhang Xiaoshu told the AFP, "they are actually different.... people may feel they are the same at the first glance, but the details are certainly different."

Playing fast and loose with concepts like 'different' and 'copying' is a luxury of doing business in China, where the government is notoriously permissive of such infringements. Unfortunately for Geely and other China-based carmakers, however, their progress into other markets will be heavily impeded by legal action in the trademark and copyright-protective jurisdictions of Europe and the U.S. if they continue these antics.

Rolls Royce understands that due to the huge price and quality disparity between the Phantom ($365,000) and the GE ($44,000), there is likely to be very little in the way of confusion or competition between the two, but it is nonetheless keeping its options open. "Our colleagues in Shanghai are taking a serious look at it," a Rolls Royce spokesman told the UK's Daily Mail. "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is very protective of its brand image and takes seriously any attempt to imitate its products."

To get more familiar with the infringing limo, check out our story on the car here. Come to think of it, with that oddball throne arrangement in the back seat, maybe Geely really does have something behind that 'different' argument.

 

wow! she must be breathing too much of those made-in-China-drywall fume

 

They even copied the emblem over the grill.

 

The people at Geely must be " chasing the dragon". To opium will ruin your sense of perception... and truth I guess

 

pathetic....

 

even the spirit of extacy has a knock off

 

..just sad.

 

And so this is just further proof that perpetuates the stereotype that China cannot manufacture or design any "original" products of their own.

 

"Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery" - but that is just ridiculous.

 

found this on autoblog....

 

I think the myth is becoming reality.

 

Who is that ignorant that they would want to ride in the back of a $44,000 car all by themselves. Total fail. And I'd be embarrassed to be seen in this POS.

 

LOL...........Yam Yam, Shanghai sally, White lotus

 

imitation is flattery....... if you imitate it right.

chinese imitations do not last even 1/10 as long as the real thing.
they are made poorly and break so fast that it makes them more expensive to own.

 

Seems kind of like you're perpetuating the stereotype as well? Please don't use one company to stereotype the whole country. Yes I know they aren't the only company out of China to copy, but they probably are the only company that believes they aren't copying when they are. The other companies are probably well aware and just trying to make a quick buck.

Again, bash the companies, their products and their execs, but please don't subject a 1billion+ population to stereotypes for the actions of a few. It's a pretty ignorant thing to do don't you think?