The District Court of The Hague has ordered Jaguar Land Rover to destroy internal files seized from BYD offices in the Netherlands. The court ruled that these records were unnecessary for JLR's design infringement claims regarding the BYD Ti 7, which is sold in China as the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7.
JLR must issue destruction instructions within 24 hours of receiving the ruling or face a penalty of €50,000 per hour, capped at €500,000. Additionally, the court rejected JLR's request for penalties against BYD and ordered the British automaker to pay €25,376.57 in legal costs.
The ruling does not address the merits of the intellectual property dispute. JLR has initiated separate legal proceedings in Rotterdam and The Hague concerning alleged design rights infringement and copyright claims. The decision is immediately enforceable regardless of any potential appeal.
BYD plans to launch the Ti 7 in the UK in November 2026, with deliveries starting in January 2027. The seven-seat Excellence AWD model is priced at £47,995, which is £23,845 lower than the Land Rover Defender 110 P300e plug-in hybrid.
