Baidu Countersues Mapping Firm Navinfo as IP Dispute Turns Ugly
Dou Shicong
DATE:  Nov 26 2020
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Baidu Countersues Mapping Firm Navinfo as IP Dispute Turns Ugly Baidu Countersues Mapping Firm Navinfo as IP Dispute Turns Ugly

(Yicai Global) Nov. 26 -- Baidu is contesting a court ruling made public last week ordering the Chinese search engine giant to pay CNY64.5 million (USD9.8 million) in damages to Navinfo for allegedly using the navigation software provider’s maps without permission and has filed a countersuit in Beijing.

Baidu asked for CNY90 million (USD13.7 million) to cover its economic losses and expenses in a filing to the People’s Court in Beijing’s Haidian District on Oct. 23, Navinfo said yesterday.

On the same day last month, Navinfo resubmitted documents to the Beijing Intellectual Property Court asking to up its compensation to CNY100 million, it said.

The two Beijing-based firms have been locked in a dispute for the past three years. In 2013, the two parties signed a contract which granted Baidu use of Navinfo’s digital maps. However, after the deal expired in 2016, Baidu allegedly continued to use its products without permission. Navinfo took Baidu to court in 2017 and the ruling was finally passed last week.

However, it seems that the two companies were aware beforehand that the outcome was not going to be what either was hoping for and both have filed counter suits. So despite the three-year case finally coming to a conclusion, the dispute rumbles on.

Navinfo [SHE:002405] was trading down 3.58 percent at 1 p.m. China time at CNY15.64 (USD2.38), giving it a market capitalization of CNY30.7 billion (USD4.7 billion).

Editor: Kim Taylor

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Keywords:   Baidu,Navinfo,Lawsuit