TVS wins patent case against Bajaj

20 May 2009

A division bench of the Madras high court has given TVS Motor Company the go-ahead to manufacture and market the 125cc `Flame' motorcycle, rejecting Bajaj Auto's claim to exclusive patent rights to a technology that uses two spark plugs.

The Madras high court on Monday lifted its earlier injunction on TVS Motors and allowed it to use internal combustion (IC) engines with three valves and two spark-plugs in its Flame bikes, according to a release from the company.

A division bench of Madras high court comprising justices S J Mukhopadhaya and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla allowed both appeals of TVS Motor Company Limited by its order dated 18 May 2009.

The appeals were filed by TVS Motor Company aggrieved by the order of the single judge of the high court granting an injunction in favour of Bajaj Auto Limited, restraining TVS Motor Company from manufacturing and selling its `TVS Flame' motorcycle involving twin spark plug technology.

Bajaj Auto had claimed a registered patent involving the twin spark plug technology and alleged that TVS Motor had infringed Bajaj's patented twin spark plug technology.

The court in its order observed that there was a difference between the three valve configuration of TVS Motor Company and the two-valve configuration of Bajaj Auto Limited.