GM sues Ford over the branding of its hands-free driving tech

Source: Ford

The two Detroit carmakers are butting heads once again as GM sues Ford for allegedly violating the trademarks of its Super Cruise feature and its autonomy-focused Cruise company. In case you didn't know, Ford calls its hands-free driving technology BlueCruise. 

GM was reportedly holding mediated talks with Ford to reach a "good-faith" arrangement, but the two companies couldn't reach an agreement before the July 24 deadline. A GM spokesperson said the company had "no choice" but to sue Ford after failing to resolve the issue "amicably."

Ford's representative shot back, saying the lawsuit was "meritless and frivolous," arguing that "cruise" was short for cruise control. Ford noted that BlueCruise was the "next evolution" of its Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control feature. The company added that GM didn't seem to have issues with other brands' naming schemes, like Hyundai's Smart Cruise Control and BMW's Active Cruise Control.

Ford and GM are known to be fierce rivals, so it won't be surprising if the brands don't cede ground, at least not immediately. Both aim to use hands-free driving as major selling points for their cars, with an aim for full-self driving in the future. 

Source: Engadget