TVS Motors has issued an clarification on media reports claiming that TVS would be toruble following the Bajaj’s exhausTEC patent approval.
Sections of the press have carried news reports based on the press release made by M/s Bajaj Auto Limited titled ‘Bajaj Granted “ExhausTEC” Patent’ dated 2nd April 2009.
Our comments and clarifications are as follows:
1. TVS Motor Company is not infringing on the said patent and the grant of this patent has no impact on our business as none of the products of the company utilise the said technology.
2. The patent granted to Bajaj Auto is for “ExhausTEC”, which is a chamber fitted on the exhaust pipe. It has nothing to do with “DTSi twin spark” technology. They are two separate patents and are not linked to each other.
3. DTSi technology involves the use of two spark plugs in the cylinder head, which is part of the engine.
4. “ExhausTEC” is not fitted on the engine but is fitted in the exhaust pipe and refers to an additional chamber (box) that is created in the exhaust pipe through which exhaust gases are dispensed.
5. Bajaj Auto filed the “ExhausTEC” patent in 2004 and the subsequent patent application was published in the Indian Patent Gazette in 2007. TVS Motor opposed this in the Indian Patent Office. It was only because of TVS Motors opposition that Bajaj had to amend their claims and the claim as amended was subsequently granted to Bajaj.
We hereby firmly state that some persons in the media seem to have been misled into believing that a correlation exists between “DTSi twin spark” technology and “ExhausTEC”. In reality they are two independent technologies with separate patents and these technologies are not used by TVS Motor Company in any of its products.