A legal dispute is developing between luxury motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson and Bengaluru-based EV producer Ultraviolette Automotive. Harley-Davidson recently entered India's fiercely competitive mid-capacity sector with its most economical model, the X440.
Following their partnership to produce high-end motorbikes in India, Hero MotoCorp and the motorcycle were jointly developed.
The 'X440' nameplate has faced opposition from Utraviolette, who claims it is too similar to its own 'X44' trademark filed in September 2022. According to trademark applications lodged on the national filings portal, the EV startup's "X44" trademark application is listed as "Accepted and Advertised."
On November 8, 2022—roughly two months after UV—Hero MotoCorp submitted the 'X440' trademark application. Deliveries are scheduled to start next month after the launch. Therefore, the application's status is currently "opposed."
It is important to note that the manufacturer employed the 'X440' moniker to represent the engine's 440 cc capacity. However, Ultraviolette still needs to provide information on the 'X44' trademark's importance. The F77, the EV manufacturer's first and only electric motorbike, is currently available in India.
The 'X44' trademark application by UV may be connected to one of its following products, as is to be expected.
Only time will tell how this dispute develops and whether Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidon will be required to change the name of the first model to result from their collaboration. Whatever the case, this is not the 'rivalry' for the X440 one may have anticipated.
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