Honda Sues Shineray for ‘Plagiarizing’ Design of Biz

After The Launch Of The Ray 50, Not Only Users, But Even Honda Itself Noticed The Great Similarity With Its Biz Model, And Decided To Sue Shineray For Plagiarism.

At The End Of April This Year, Shineray Introduced Its New Model, The Ray 50, A New Moped Launched From R$ 8,900. The Model Was Nicknamed Turbo, As The Brand Claimed It Would Deliver Higher Power Than The Average Offered For The Category. However, The Turbo Never Actually Existed. If You Have Seen A Photo Of Shineray’s Model And Found A Similarity With A Honda Biz, Know That You Are Not Alone. 

Multinational Honda Sues Shineray For Plagiarism

Honda, Just Like Many People, Found Great Similarities In The Lines And Did Something About It: Sued Shineray. According To Reports, The Japanese Manufacturer Has Won The Case In The Second Instance.

Shineray Still Has The Right To Appeal; However, The Ray 50 Turbo’s Sales Were Suspended And It No Longer Appears On The Company’s Website. When Contacted, Shineray Stated In An Official Statement To The Press That Shineray Brazil Communicates That The Case With Honda Is Being Legally Discussed. Honda’s Objectives And Shineray’s Arguments Will Be Evaluated By The Judiciary When The Sentence Is Pronounced.

The Sales Of The Model Are Suspended. Meanwhile, Honda Was More Detailed In Its Positioning. According To The Company’s Statement, Honda Operates Under The Principle Of Fair And Free Competition And Defends The Right To Intellectual Property As A Way To Generate A Business Environment That Favors Innovation.

Their Vehicles Are Produced From Extensive Development Research And Testing Batteries That Ensure Quality And Safety For Users Throughout The Product’s Lifecycle. When A Part Or Complete Model, Such As The Honda Biz, Is Copied, There Is No Guarantee That It Has Passed All The Required Controls.

Similarities Between Honda And Shineray Models

Regarding The Lawsuit Itself, The Multinational Honda Claimed To Own Several Patents, All Registered With The Competent Government Agency, Including The Industrial Design Of Motorcycles And Their Parts.

The Production, Offering, Advertising, Assembly, Distribution, And Sale Of Products That Violate These Industrial Design Patents Constitutes A Serious Violation Of The Current Intellectual Property Law. Right From Its Launch, The Shineray Ray 50 Turbo Generated Some Controversy.

In Addition To A Clear Tribute To The Honda Biz, The Bike Carried Turbo In Its Name, But Had Nothing That Related It To That. In Reality, Shineray Never Disclosed All The Technical Details Of The “Copy” Of The Honda Biz. Among The Similarities With The Honda Model, The Two-Tone Finishing Option, With White Fairings And A Beige Seat And Inner Column Are Among Them.

Ray 50 Features

The Lines With The Separated Headlight And Nearly Vertical Blinkers On The Shield Bear A Strong Resemblance To The Honda Biz Model. In The Only Official Promotional Video, It Was Possible To Note That The Instrument Panel Also Resembles That Of The Biz 110i. The Video Also Shows That The Ray 50 Comes With A Hook For Bags, Alloy Wheels, And A Front Disc Brake.

The Visible Choke On The Left Grip Indicates That The New Shineray Moped Should Be Supported By A Carburetor. The Promotional Video Also Shows That The Model Lacks A Clutch, Suggesting That It Is A 4-Speed Semi-Automatic Transmission, Also Used In Other Shineray Models, Like The Jet 50, Which Has A Power Capacity Of Up To 2.9 Horsepower.