The matter began when the nearly 70-year history of the Defender came to an end, and Land Rover decided to introduce a new car model that was similar in name only. Thus, the boxy shape of the car was to be relegated to the past. Taking advantage of this opportunity, British industrialist Jim Ratcliffe (owner of the company Ineos), among other things in the chemical industry, decided to revive the famous shape on his own terms, which is sure to bring him even greater fame and substantial profits.
A year after Land Rover ceased production, in 2017, Ratcliffe established a subsidiary of his corporation – Ineos Automotive, with the aim of producing a car referred to as Project Grenadier. There was nothing shocking about the idea itself, except for the fact that the shape of the new car was to be modeled after the characteristic, boxy shape of the Land Rover Defender. These actions led Land Rover, after many years, to decide to register the shape of its classic car as a trademark, which would allow it to obtain a monopoly on the famous “boxy” design and maintain its association with Land Rover.
Interestingly, the court did not agree with the British automotive giant and refused to register its trademark. The justification stated that the shape of the historic Defender is not distinctive enough to grant it protection, which ultimately means that the average consumer will not focus on its external appearance, which will be of little importance to them. The decision is very interesting, especially since, in fact, only Land Rover can boast a car with such a distinctive shape. It is unknown whether any appeal has n filed in this case, so the near future will show whether Land Rover will actually and definitively lose its “boxy” design. Interestingly, at the moment, Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos Automotive have a free hand in the planned 2021 premiere of Project Grenadier, and no one can stop them.
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