Sony sues Huawei and EUIPO for copyright infringement

Sony has sued Huawei and EUIPO for copyright infringement on the Watch GT smartwatch brand. Sony has renewed its objections to Huawei selling ‘GT’ branded smartwatches. While Huawei has so far launched the Watch GT and GT 2 series, Sony has taken the Chinese company and EUIPO to the European General Court to prevent the release of the Watch GT 3 or future models bearing the GT name.

The dispute actually dates back to 2016, when Sony objected to Huawei’s registration of GT3 and GT5 with EUIPO. In short, Sony believes that ‘GT’, short for Gran Turismo, is its own. While the Gran Turismo series and Watch GT series operate in different markets, Sony may keep its options open for a GT-themed smartwatch in the future. So far, Sony has filed lawsuits against Huawei and EUIPO regarding the terms GT3, GT5, GT8, GT9 and GT10.

Neither Huawei nor Sony commented on the dispute. Huawei responded by registering GT3, GT5, GT8, GT9 and GT10 with the UK IPO. Meanwhile, Huawei’s trademark applications specifically exclude use with ‘computer games software, computer games hardware, video games software, video games hardware’, a possible reference to Gran Turismo and Sony. The UK IPO is still considering Huawei’s applications filed on September 27, 2021.

Source: LetsGoDigital