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Znen

Vespa ni adalah ikon dari semua aspek. Bukan hanya dari segi reka bentuk, tapi juga sebab syarikat tu sendiri dah wujud sejak tahun 1946, dan motosikal Vespa pun tak banyak berubah dalam reka bentuk sejak tahun tu.

Nilai jenama Vespa pun dah naik juga dalam dua tahun je, naik sebanyak 19%!

Mengikut Interbrand, firma penilai jenama global, Vespa dah melepasi nilai 1 billion Euro, dan pada tahun 2022, Vespa jadi penyumbang utama kepada kewangan Piaggio Group dengan pertumbuhan hasil jualan naik sebanyak 30%.

Di bawah pimpinan Piaggio dalam beberapa dekad terakhir, Vespa dikelola dengan pendekatan yang bijak, dengan menyelitkan peningkatan teknikal di dalam motosikal dengan sentuhan reka bentuk yang klasik, baik untuk model GTS yang premium mahupun model yang lebih kecil, seperti Primavera. Akibatnya, Vespa tak hanya mengekalkan daya tarikan klasik dan nostalgic, tetapi juga memastikan kebolehgunaan, kebolehpercayaan, dan keselamatan.

Baru-baru ini, status ikonik Vespa mendapat pengiktirafan rasmi daripada Mahkamah Keadilan Kesatuan Eropah (CJEU), dengan mengesahkan bahawa reka bentuk Vespa adalah unik dan tak boleh ditiru, menjadikannya mudah dikenali di seluruh Eropah.

Keputusan mahkamah ini mengakhiri pertikaian undang-undang selama 10 tahun antara Piaggio Group dan Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group dari China yang mengeluarkan skuter ZNEN, tiruan terang Vespa.

Pada tahun 2014, Pejabat Harta Intelek Kesatuan Eropah (EUIPO) mengiktiraf keunikan reka bentuk Vespa dan memberikan status cap dagang kepadanya. Namun, pada tahun 2018, Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group berjaya membatalkan cap dagang Vespa itu di mahkamah selepas memperkuatkan kedudukan mereka di Eropah dengan pembelian jenama Moto Morini.

Sebagai hasilnya, EUIPO membatalkan keputusan awalnya dan memberikan kebebasan kepada syarikat China ini untuk menghasilkan dan menjual skuter ZNEN mereka (dilihat di bawah).

Sebagai tindak balas, Piaggio Vespa melancarkan pertahanan yang gigih dan mengemukakan rayuan ke CJEU untuk mendaftarkan semula reka bentuk Vespa sebagai cap dagang. Mahkamah Kesatuan Eropah kini memihak kepada Piaggio Vespa, menjadikan ZNEN scooter tidak layak untuk diimport dan dijual di mana-mana di Eropah.

Kemenangan undang-undang menyamai kemenangan yang serupa untuk Vespa pada tahun 2020 dimana ia menentang imitator China lain, Chen Huang, yang juga menghasilkan salinan Vespa (diatas).

Kejayaan-kejayaan ini menunjukkan komitmen Vespa dalam melindungi identiti uniknya, sikap yang mungkin akan diteruskan untuk mempertahankan keunikan ikoniknya di pasaran global yang lain.

Vespa stands as an unequivocal icon in every conceivable aspect. Its significance is not only rooted in its timeless design but also in the enduring legacy of the company, which has been in existence since 1946. Remarkably, the design of Vespa scooters has remained largely unchanged since that pivotal year.

The brand’s value has experienced a remarkable surge, witnessing a staggering 19% growth in just the past two years.

According to Interbrand, a global brand consulting organisation, Vespa has surpassed the 1 billion Euro mark, asserting its dominance as the primary contributor to the Piaggio Group’s financial success, boasting a substantial 30% increase in turnover as of 2022.

Under the adept stewardship of Piaggio over the last few decades, Vespa has adhered to a strategic approach, blending significant under-the-surface technical enhancements with well-considered stylistic refinements.

This approach has been applied judiciously to both the high-end GTS and the more compact Primavera models.

Consequently, Vespa has not only retained its classic, nostalgic allure but has also fortified its reputation for functionality, reliability, and safety.

Recently, Vespa’s iconic status received formal recognition from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), affirming that the design of Vespa is unmistakable and cannot be replicated, making it instantly recognizable across Europe.

This judicial pronouncement concluded a decade-long legal dispute between the Piaggio Group and the Chinese Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group. The latter had introduced the ZNEN scooter, an unabashed copy of the Vespa, leading to a protracted legal battle.

In 2014, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) acknowledged the unique design of Vespa and granted it trademark status. However, in 2018, Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group managed to overturn the Vespa trademark in court, leveraging their strengthened position in Europe after acquiring the Moto Morini brand.

Subsequently, the EUIPO reversed its earlier decision, allowing the Chinese company to freely manufacture and sell its ZNEN scooter (seen below).

In response, Piaggio Vespa mounted a vigorous defense, seeking recourse from the CJEU to reinstate Vespa’s design as a trademark. The EU court sided with Piaggio Vespa, rendering the ZNEN scooter ineligible for import and sale anywhere in Europe.

This legal victory echoed a similar triumph for Vespa against another Chinese imitator in 2020, Chen Huang (below), who had also produced replicas of the iconic Vespa.

These successes underscore Vespa’s commitment to safeguarding its distinctive identity, a stance that may extend to safeguarding its iconic uniqueness in other global markets.

  • Piaggio lost their Intellectual property case against Zhejiang Zhongneng (marketed as Znen).

  • The Italian manufacturer claimed that one of the Znen scooters copied the Vespa LX.

  • The European Union Intellectual Property Office didn’t think so.

It’s an understatement to say that many of Chinese motorcycle manufacturers blatantly infringe upon the intellectual properties of others, although a number are moving in their own direction. Such was the case of Piaggio & C. SpA versus Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group Co. Ltd.

Piaggio accused Zhejiang Zhongneng of copying the Vespa LX and brought the case to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The Italian manufacturer stated that they have been in business since 1945, while the Chinese company started producing their line of scooters since 2005 (marketed as Znen). As such, the former was cited for imitating the LX’s lines in their product.

The EUIPO didn’t see it that way, however. They stated that it’s easy to distinguish between the two scooters. The Vespa LX’s classic lines are curved, while Zhejiang Zhongneng’s F9 are more boxy in appearance, hence there’s no mistaking one for the other.

Consequently, the court dismissed Piaggio’s claim as it would mean that the Chinese manufacturer did not infringe upon Piaggio’s intellectual property.

Check out the Znen’s website here. The disputed model isn’t listed anymore. The case had been pending since 2014, anyway.

Truth is, all modern step-through scooters were influenced by the Vespa. It was the brand which featured a bodywork which covers all the mechanicals. The designer did so to isolate the rider from being splashed by water, dirt and oils from the engine.

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