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

JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, stated 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 characteristic in Jaguar’s F-Tempo and Land Rover Discovery automobiles.

“JLR seeks to guard itself and its United States operations from corporations 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, stated within the submitting.

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

Jaguar desires 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 stated there are many different luxurious midsize SUV and compact crossover automobiles to satisfy shopper demand if the SUVs are banned from the U.S.

Nonetheless, the premium Porsche and Audi strains 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 may possibly’t award damages however does have the facility to dam merchandise from coming into the U.S.

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

However Jaguar additionally filed patent lawsuits in opposition to the businesses in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey, searching 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).