Great Wall Motor to Sue Fiat Over Commercial Secrets Spies

(chinatrucks.com, Oct. 16, 2009)Great Wall Motor Co Ltd said on Oct.10 that it prepared to filed a complaint to Fiat Auto SpA's headquarter in Italy, accusing the latter of stealing the Chinese automaker's commercial secrets.

Great Wall Motor told reporters that it had filed a complaint to Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court in June and had submitted evidence to prove that Fiat once instigated espionage to prowl into its research center and take photos of Peri small car that was still under developed.

Fiat's Shanghai office said it is not entitled to deal with such business allegations. Another Fiat executive based in China declined to comment.

In 2007 Fiat sued the Chinese automaker for copyright infringement on Peri model. An Italian court in the Fiat's hometown of Turin ruled against Great Wall at the time, agreeing the GWPeri was a Panda knockoff and banning sales of the vehicle throughout Europe. Later Fiat filed its claim to China's Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court, but the court dismissed the claim and ordered Fiat to pay the court $1,291 court fees in the end.

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