MOSCOW, October 3 (RAPSI) – The British motor company Land Rover has filed a lawsuit with the Russian Intellectual Property Court,contesting the Russian patent regulator’s decision to grant legal protection to the Road Rover brand.

The Road Rover brand is registered with Moscow region company “Audiositemy,” which makes audio recording equipment. The brand was registered by Rospatent in 2012.

The plaintiff demanded the cancellation of the brand protection, saying that it bears a confusing similarity to the Land Rover trademark. Rospatent rejected these claims, saying that the two brands differ phonetically, graphically, and semantically.

British Land Rover and Jaguar are subsidiaries of India’s largest motor company Tata Motors Ltd., which is a member of the Tata Group conglomerate. In 2012 Land Rover was reported to occupy 10,5% of Russian premium class automobile market.