Mitsubishi Electric Wins Trademark Infringement Lawsuit against Factory-automation Product Counterfeiters in China

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court has upheld an earlier ruling in Mitsubishi Electric’s favor regarding infringement of the company’s trademarks by Guangzhou Lingye Automation Equipment, Guangzhou Longyan Automation Technology, Guangzhou Ouye Automation Technology and their owners located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

The defendants manufactured and sold a large quantity of dead copy products, including PLCs, AC servos, inverters and other factory-automation equipment bearing counterfeit Mitsubishi trademarks, beginning in around 2012. The defendants were convicted of illegally manufacturing and selling these products in May 2016, after which Mitsubishi Electric sued the defendants for trademark infringement and won the case.

Mitsubishi Electric will continue to take strict measures against producers of counterfeit products through the detection, and application of legal measures to protect its brand value, so that customers may continue to use its products with peace of mind.

Outline of Lawsuit

1. Defendants
Guangzhou Lingye Automation Equipment, Guangzhou Longyan Automation Technology, Guangzhou Ouye Automation Technology and their owners

2. Infringing products
PLCs, AC servos, inverters, etc. manufactured and sold by the Defendants

3. Infringed trademarks
3 trademarks: MITSUBISHI and

4. Mitsubishi Electric’s claims
The Defendants must pay compensation and publish an apology statement to eliminate the effects of infringement

5. Courts
Initial ruling: Tianhe People’s Court, Guangzhou City
Appellate ruling: Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court

6. Dates of rulings
Initial ruling: November 8, 2018
Appellate ruling: July 31, 2020

7. Details of appellate ruling
The defendants must pay compensation of 2.66 million RMB in damages and must issue a public statement in which they admit their wrongdoing and apologize for the harm they caused by producing counterfeit products that infringed on Mitsubishi Electric’s trademarks (published in Guangdong daily newspaper on September 1, 2020).

About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

With nearly 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. Embracing the spirit of its corporate statement, Changes for the Better, and its environmental statement, Eco Changes, Mitsubishi Electric endeavors to be a global, leading green company, enriching society with technology. The company recorded a revenue of 4,462.5 billion yen (US$ 40.9 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com

*At an exchange rate of 109 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on

March 31, 2020