doublea wrote:

Allegro door handles..

Have you zoomed in to look at the hinges? They look like they came from B&Q

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Didn't JLR lose a bid to patent the Defender shape recently?

I'd strongly suggest (from a logical, not legal standpoint), that if your new badged vehicle looks nothing like its predeccesor, you should have no right to the looks of the former. If you have DNA that has clearly transfered from one generation to the next, and continues to in the current model, (think G-Wagen and the aforementioned Jeep) then maybe. But the moment the new Def was announced and launched, any hold on the original shape was voided. IMHO.  Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

Supacat wrote:

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post806647...ark#806647

I think the basis of the trademark case and the Jeep one are completely different. One was also a US case which may have had a bearing on its outcome.

There are some country that are hugely protectionist about anything that's from or made there: manufacturing, money, IP, brands, even people. They think they're the best, they defend them come-what-may, and not always with what might be seen as fairness in other countries. And then there are other countries who do naff all. They bleat on about how great they are, but want to be seen to be 'fair' and 'playing on a level playing field' or 'following the rules' and bend over backwards to do the opposite of protecting their nation and their heritage for fear of being called jingoists.

Of the former, the US is certainly one, it is the best at everything, and that is even more the case with Trump at the wheel. So any court case in the US will always err on the side of a US firm. Closer to home, its France. They will do anything to protect their nation, even if it bends European rules. Look at the farmers who spolied millions of litres of Spanish wine (of which the french drink huge amounts because its so good when compared with French, equivalently priced wine) all over the roads. Gendarmes stood by and did nothing. You can better your bottom dollar that our police would be doing everything they could to stop the demo. But the lily-livered response is always taken by the UK. Always got to be seen to do the right thing, even whilst those around us bend and break rules, or even if they don't, just act with a little less than impartiality.

And if you want a sporting metaphor for a country's attitude, look at cycling. When the 2012 Olympics came to town, the route chosen for the men's cycling event included numerous laps of Box Hill. At the time, Mark Cavendish was the world's best sprinter, but as anyone who follows cycling knows, not a good climber. If you throw in numerous laps of a steep hill like Box Hill, it becomes much harder to control the race, much harder to ensure a sprint finish, much less chance the world's best sprinter will be there to contest for gold. And it came to pass. Couldn't have chosen a harder route for him. But we have to be fair. Wouldn't have happened anywhere else, and certainly not the US or France. And I don't say this as some xenophobe, I think nations should be proud enough to protect their own interests. But you can see it every year in the Tour de France when the route is designed to negate an overseas rider's strengths and pass them to the French hot shot. And why not, it's a French race. As long as it's not taking the p***, which it sometimes does, because if that doesn't work, you can always manipulate the race.

A few years back, a couple of riders were docked time for taken a water bottle from a spectator during a particularly hard ascent. Fair enoigh, that's the rules and they knew they were breaking them. No complaints by them or their teams, fines accepted. But when footage emerged of the top French rider (Bardet) doing the same thing on the same climb, rather than also docking him time, they reinstated the time to the other two riders. Their time had no outcome on the race, but by Bardet keeping his time, it ensured a podium finish in Paris rather than an ignominious 4th place. Blatent, and no amount of complaining by teams, world media, ex-pro riders, pundits etc changed the decision of the organisers. Had that been in the UK you can bet your bottom dollar that the organisers would have done everything to follow the rules and fine the British rider the maximum, rather than help him/her.

Anyway, long way of saying protectionism. Americans and others good at it, UK not.  Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

Grenadier wrote:

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Didn't JLR lose a bid to patent the Defender shape recently?

I'd strongly suggest (from a logical, not legal standpoint), that if your new badged vehicle looks nothing like its predeccesor, you should have no right to the looks of the former. If you have DNA that has clearly transfered from one generation to the next, and continues to in the current model, (think G-Wagen and the aforementioned Jeep) then maybe. But the moment the new Def was announced and launched, any hold on the original shape was voided. IMHO.

Supacat wrote:

Setok wrote:

Supacat wrote:

The rear detail on the top and bottom edges of the front doors intrigues me ~ they appear to be chamfered, and I'm trying to think of an engineering justification rather than a design one?


Click image to enlarge

Extra strength for the B pillar at the corners?

I hadn't looked at it that way around ~ it does make sense

So this appears to have turned into a red herring?

But what about that box underneath?

Click image to enlarge

Whilst looking underneath I can't seem to locate the fuel tank?

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Didn't JLR lose a bid to patent the Defender shape recently?