British carmaker Land Rover sues Chinese trademark agency over brand dispute

 British luxury car maker Land Rover is suing a top Chinese trademark watchdog over a trademark dispute with Chinese auto manufacturer Geely, according to a court statement released Friday.

The lawsuit against the Trademark Appeal Board under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce has been accepted by the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, the statement said.

The British carmaker said it has used two Chinese characters "Lu Hu" in China for its "Land Rover" brand since early 1990s, but in 1999 Geely registered the "Lu Hu" trademark knowing that Land Rover was using it, the statement said.

Land Rover had appealed to the Trademark Appeal Board, asking the agency to revoke the "Lu Hu" trademark registered by Geely, but the board rejected the appeal.

The statement did not specify when the appeal took place.

Land Rover is bringing the Trademark Appeal Board to court and has asked judges to order the board to review its earlier decision. A trial date is yet to be decided, according to the statement.

Geely, based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, is the country's leading private-run carmaker. It attracted worldwide attention last year by taking over Swedish automaker Volvo.