Industry News
Nissan takes steps to stop European grey imports of GT-R before UK launch
21st December 2007
These businesses have been warned not to engage in these ‘infringing’ activities and, if this warning is ignored, Nissan says it will seek the support of the English courts in enforcing its legitimate rights against those businesses.
Nissan says the basis of this action is well established and has been confirmed in decisions of the European and English courts over a number of years. The company notes that it does not seek to prevent individual customers or businesses from buying Nissan vehicles intended for the UK or European markets.
Gary Frigo, Nissan Motor (GB) Limited’s Managing Director, said: “We have been made aware of a significant increase in activity in the import trade of certain vehicles, particularly the Nissan GT-R, which warrants immediate action.
“Nissan’s number one priority is to ensure that the GT-R and its dealer network are in optimal condition to facilitate and support our customers. It will take until start of sales in March 2009 to do this. Until that time the UK will have no GT-R trained technicians, no established GT-R parts supply and, most crucial of all, the GT-R will not be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.”
The British Independent Motor Trade Association (BIMTA), which represents grey importers in the UK, has not responded officially to Nissan’s statement. A vendor’s risk or otherwise of infringeing the manufacturer’s trademark rights is not mentioned among the 21 questions included in the BIMTA website’s ‘Should I buy an import?’ Q&A feature.
- Nissan’s Oppama Plant reached a 15 millionth unit milestone on 19th December, 46 years after the plant’s inauguration. The 15 millionth vehicle – a Tiida hatchback – was bound for the African market.
News Headlines
