SEG Navigation v. GAC Toyota Patent Infringement

The booming auto industry once again triggered intellectual property disputes. Yesterday, Shenzhen SEG Navigation Technology Co., Ltd., a leading company in the domestic car navigation industry, announced that it has filed Guangzhou Auto Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. on the matter concerning suspected patent infringement of Toyota G-BOOK's “Intelligent Vice Driving”. It is reported that Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court has accepted the case a few days ago.

SEG navigation launches patent rights

SEG Navigator asked GAC Toyota to immediately stop the infringement and pay SEG navigation compensation for economic losses and related expenses totaling 2.4 million yuan. According to Hong Jun, deputy general manager of SEG Navigation, GAC Toyota promoted the G-BOOK system in the Chinese market in large scale in 2009. At present, G-BOOK system vehicles are installed on the domestic market, including the Camry 200G, 240G, 240V of GAC Toyota. Wait for several different models. The G-BOOK system allegedly infringed the patent of “an interactive driving navigation and vehicle security system” held by SEG Navigation (issued by the Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China, patent number ZL200610157027.7).

According to Hong Jun, the core backbone of SEG Navigation began its development and application of satellite positioning and Telematics (automotive online service) as early as 1994. It is a pioneer and leader in the field of domestic Telematics (automotive online service) and is currently The country has more than 500,000 subscribers and is the GPS network service operator with the largest number of subscribers in China. SEG Navigation has a large number of independent intellectual property rights and core technologies in the field of automotive online services. As of June 2010, SEG Navigation has cumulatively obtained 70 patents, including 11 invention patents, and has received 223 patent applications.

Car navigation market exceeds 10 billion in scale

On the surface, the dispute comes from intellectual property disputes: from the patent dispute between Microsoft and GPS navigation equipment company TomTom in 2009, to July this year, ITT and Motorola in the United States reached a settlement agreement on GPS patent disputes, and then to SEG navigation today. Prosecution of GAC Toyota, patent disputes in the field of vehicle navigation become increasingly frequent. A survey by the reporter found that the booming car navigation market was the main cause of the dispute.

According to the "2009 Car Navigation Electronic Map Market Report" issued by Shuiqing Muhua, a domestic authoritative market research organization, the fastest growing industry in the electronic market in 2009 was car GPS, whose sales have reached 5 billion yuan, and the annual growth rate of sales exceeded. 50%. The China Global Positioning System Technology Application Association released a research report indicating that by 2010, China’s car navigation system will have an annual sales volume of 1 million units and a guaranteed volume of 5 million units. The scale of the car navigation market in 2010 is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan.

According to the survey, in the mature countries of Europe and the United States, the pre-installed GPS market has reached as much as 60% of the market, while in China, it currently only occupies 10% of the market. The market prospect is huge, and for SEG navigation focusing on vehicle navigation, this is The pre-installed GPS market undoubtedly means a huge incremental market, constantly with competitors PK, through the patent rights protection is conducive to establish its competitive advantage.

Patent pool construction is imminent

Under the appeal of huge market prospects, many global automotive and IT industries have entered this market one after another. At present, China has more than 300 independent brand car navigation manufacturers. Patent warfare and technological innovation will undoubtedly become the focus of future market competition.

“SEG encountered patent infringement is not an isolated case, but is a typical 'growing trouble' in China's automotive electronics industry.” Zhang Zhang, vice president of the Shenzhen Patent Association and head of the Shenzhen Zhongyi Patent and Trademark Office pointed out that the current global car The navigation industry is at a critical stage in the distribution of intellectual property rights. The frequency of intellectual property disputes involving in-vehicle electronic products has risen significantly. More and more heavyweight companies are involved. The “Telematics Automotive Online Service” involved in this infringement lawsuit is even an emerging field in the car navigation and even the entire automotive electronics industry. Chinese companies are in the same starting line with the global automotive and electronics giants in this field. on. "The entire industry should realize that the protection of its own intellectual property rights is directly related to the survival of China's car navigation industry in this area."

“Protection of intellectual property rights is beneficial to the promotion of inventions and innovations.” Chang Zhihai, president of the China Global Positioning System Technology Application Association, called for domestic in-car navigation companies to increase their independent innovation efforts and strengthen their own intellectual property rights through the establishment of “patent pools” and other methods. The protection of core interests will regulate and promote the healthy development of the domestic car navigation industry.