Jaguar Land Rover filed a grievance on Thursday to dam U.S. imports of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and VW crossovers it says are utilizing its patented Terrain Response know-how with out permission.

JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, mentioned in its submitting with the U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee that the know-how helps negotiate a “broad vary of surfaces” and is a key function in Jaguar’s F-Tempo and Land Rover Discovery automobiles.

“JLR seeks to guard itself and its United States operations from firms which have injected infringing merchandise into the U.S. market that incorporate, with none license from JLR, know-how developed by JLR and guarded by its patent,” JLR’s lawyer, Matthew Moore, mentioned within the submitting.

Representatives of Volkswagen Group, which owns the manufacturers, didn’t instantly reply to emails looking for touch upon the grievance.

Jaguar needs to dam imports of Porsche’s Cayenne; Lamborghini’s Urus; Audi’s Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad and e-tron automobiles; and VW’s Tiguan automobiles.

JLR mentioned there are many different luxurious midsize SUV and compact crossover automobiles to satisfy shopper demand if the automobiles are banned from the U.S.

Nonetheless, the premium Porsche and Audi traces present a lot of the revenue VW is utilizing to fund its investments in know-how for electrical automobiles, autonomous automobiles and additional improvements.

VW Group owns different upscale nameplates, together with Bentley and Bugatti.

The Worldwide Commerce Fee is an impartial, quasi-judicial company that investigates complaints of unfair commerce practices, like patent infringement.

It might’t award damages however does have the ability to dam merchandise from getting into the U.S.

Homeowners of patents and commerce secrets and techniques prefer it as a result of it may possibly work quicker than the federal district courts — the everyday investigation is accomplished in 15 to 18 months.

However Jaguar additionally filed patent lawsuits towards the businesses in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey, looking for money compensation for using the know-how. These circumstances are prone to be placed on maintain as soon as the commerce fee launches its investigation.

The case is Within the Matter of Sure Automobile Management Methods, 337-3508, U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee (Washington).