Country’s second largest two- wheeler manufacturer, Bajaj Auto Ltd is planning to sue south Indian rival TVS Motor Co, accusing it of infringing upon intellectual property rights of its patented digital twin spark ignition (DTSi) technology..

Bajaj Auto’s move to sue TVS comes two days after the Chennai-based company announced plans to roll out its latest 125 cc bike ‘Flame’ with Controlled Combustion Variable Timing Intelligent (CC-VTi) technology.

“This is a case of IPR infringement issue. Prima facie we have a strong case. While we have had Chinese companies infringing our patented technology, this is the first time a fellow Indian company is doing it to us,” Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) CEO (Two-Wheelers) S Sridhar told PTI.

Digital Twin Spark (DTS) technology Bajaj had developed and patented in 2002 for its motorbikes, “is central to Bajaj’s technology for our motorbikes,” claimed Mr Sridhar. “This is a violation of our intellectual property rights, our patent, and we are preparing to take immediate legal action against TVS,” he said.

Legal action

Bajaj is scheduled to launch in September a new 125 cc motorbike that it expects will wean customers from the low-margin 100 cc segment dominated by leader Hero Honda Motors Ltd. 

He said the company was convinced that there was a clear case of IPR violation by TVS on three counts and the company’s legal department was preparing to go to court at the earliest.

“The first is the purpose for which they are doing it (use of twin spark ignition for enhanced performance and better mileage). Secondly, the size (of engine) is same and third, construction of engine is also the same,” Sridhar added. TVS officials were not immediately available for comments.

BAL’s some of the most popular models ‘Pulsar’ and ‘Discover’ are powered by DTSi engines and Sridhar said the company holds the global and Indian patent for the technology for small engines.

TVS had claimed that its ‘Flame’ is powered by an engine with CC-VTi technology, which features two different intake ports called swirl port and power port.

TVS Chairman and Managing Director Venu Srinivasan had said that the company planned to sell about 30,000 to 35,000 per month after the model’s proposed market launch by November.

Reacting to Bajaj Auto’s plans to move court TVS Motor company Vice President Corporate Communication Cecil K Dewars said, “ TVS has not infringed on anyone’s technology.”