Piaggio wins leaning wheel patent case over Peugeot

Peugeot fined for copyright infringement

French automobile and scooter manufacturer, Peugeot, has been found guilty of infringing on a European patent over the technology of the Piaggio MP3 three-wheel scooter. The case filed alleges Peugeot used their proprietary technology on their Metropolis three-wheeler model.

Peugeot motorcycles, owned by the Indian conglomerate, Mahindra, has been ordered by courts to pay damages calculated to EUR 1.5-million or roughly PHP 88.42-million. Additionally, Peugeot was ordered to pay the penalties for infringement and related legal expenses.

The technology in question is the control system that enables a three-wheeled vehicle to tilt sideways like a conventional motorcycle when turning. The patent is owned by the Piaggio Group and French courts have ruled in its favor (though Peugeot may still appeal). This design is seen on the Piaggio MP3, which is a scooter with two wheels in front and one wheel in the rear.

The ruling of the Paris court also prohibits the Peugeot Motorcycles company on French territory from producing, promoting, marketing, importing, exporting, using, and/or possessing any three-wheel scooter that uses the control system patented by the Piaggio Group (including the Peugeot Metropolis), on penalty of payment of a fine for every counterfeit vehicle.

The Court of Milan has prohibited the Peugeot Motorcycles company on Italian territory from importing, exporting, marketing and advertising (offline and online) the Peugeot Metropolis, with a fine of EUR 6,000 for every vehicle sold after a term of 30 days from the announcement of the sentence. Peugeot Motorcycles must also withdraw all counterfeit vehicles from sale in Italy within 90 days, on penalty of payment of an additional fine of EUR 10,000 for every day that they delay in executing the order.