Chery QQ facing possible lawsuit with Tencent QQ
(Asia Pulse)
Updated: 2005-12-01 16:14

Chery Automobile Co Ltd, one of the largest independent car makers in China, is facing another intellectual property rights (IPR) dispute shortly after settling one against world auto giant General Motors (GM).

This time around, Tencent, China's largest instant message service operator, has alleged that Chery's trademark QQ, used in one of Chery's best-selling models, the Chery QQ, infringed on Tencent's instant messenger name.

Song Yang, a Tencent spokesman, told China Daily yesterday that the firm is under urgent negotiations with Chery over a trademark dispute.

Tencent QQ is China's first instant messenger, launched and registered by Tencent in 1999. So far it has had more than 400 million users.

Chery also used QQ to name one of its economic cars launched in 2003; it applied to the Trademark Bureau of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce for the registration of the trademark in 2003.

Tencent said it has formally complained about the alleged infringement, while Chery told China Daily there had been no IPR violation and said it was negotiating with Tencent.