GM claims that the name of Ford’s feature is too close to the name of its own hands-free driving technology
General Motors has filed a lawsuit against Ford over the name of its hands-free driving feature called “BlueCruise.”
The company claims that the name is too close to its own hands-free driving technology called “Super Cruise.” GM is suing Ford for trademark infringement and unspecified damages, as reported by The Verge.
GM filed the lawsuit on July 23rd, in which it outlines that the two companies had been in talks over the name but weren’t able to resolve the issue. GM claims that “Ford knew exactly what it was doing.”
Further, the company states that if Ford “wanted to adopt a new, unique brand, it easily could have done so without using the word Cruise.”
GM told the Detroit Free Press in a statement that it was “left with no choice but to vigorously defend our brands and protect the equity our products and technology have earned over several years in the market.”
A spokesperson for Ford told The Verge in a statement that the claim from GM is “meritless and frivolous.” The spokesperson stated that the term ‘cruise control’ is well-known.
“Every automaker offers it, and ‘cruise’ is common shorthand for the capability. That’s why BlueCruise was chosen as the name for the Blue Oval’s next evolution of Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control,” the spokesperson said.
It’s worth noting that other car companies have also used the word “cruise” to name their hands-free driving technologies. For instance, Hyundai’s is called ‘Smart Cruise Control” and BMW’s is called ‘Active Cruise Control.’
Source: The Verge, Detroit Free Press