Ford may be excited about its BlueCruise hands-free technology, but GM is less than excited about it. The Detroit Free Press and The Verge report that GM has sued Ford for alleged trademark infringement for both its rival Super Cruise feature and its autonomy-focused cruise company.
According to DFP sources, GM had brokered talks with Ford to reach a “bona fide” deal. However, the two sides reportedly failed to make a deal before the July 24 deadline, leading to the lawsuit. A GM spokesman said the company had “no choice” but to sue Ford after trying to “amicably” resolve the dispute.
Ford’s agent meanwhile argued that GM’s lawsuit was “baseless and frivolous”. People understood that “Cruise” was short for cruise control, Ford said, and BlueCruise was ultimately the “next evolution” of its intelligent adaptive cruise control. The automaker added that GM didn’t seem to have any issues with the naming schemes of other brands, such as BMW’s Active Cruise Control and Hyundai’s Smart Cruise Control.
The attention paid to Ford is not surprising. Both companies see hands-free driving as a major selling point for their cars, with complete self-driving being a long-term goal. It’s also no secret that the two Detroit brands have long been fierce rivals – neither Ford nor GM are going to want to lose ground, at least not quickly. We wouldn’t be surprised if the lawsuit ends in a settlement, but not before the companies have exchanged some verbal taunts.
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