BYD faces lawsuit over Denza trademark dispute in Indonesia

Raden Reza Adi has filed a IDR 9.5 trillion (US$524 million) lawsuit against Chinese automotive group BYD and six other entities over the use of the Denza trademark in Indonesia, escalating a dispute that has prompted the electric vehicle maker to rebrand the name locally as Danza.

The lawsuit was registered at the Central Jakarta Commercial Court. It names BYD Company Limited, BYD Motor Indonesia, BYD Auto Indonesia and four other Indonesian entities involved in BYD’s automotive operations and distribution.

Raden Reza Adi is seeking recognition as the lawful owner and exclusive rights holder of the Denza trademark under registration number IDM001176306 for class 12, which covers vehicles. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants used the trademark without authorisation and in bad faith, causing material losses. It is also seeking an order requiring the defendants to stop importing, producing, assembling, distributing, selling and promoting vehicles bearing the Denza name or confusingly similar marks.

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The claim also seeks the withdrawal of products allegedly resulting from trademark infringement that are already circulating in Indonesia.

The latest case follows a separate lawsuit filed by BYD earlier against Raden Reza Adi and Worcas Nusantara Abadi, which previously held the Indonesian Denza trademark. In that case, BYD is seeking recognition of Denza as a well-known trademark and confirmation that it is the sole lawful owner of the mark for class 12.

The dispute dates back to 2023, when Worcas registered Denza with Indonesia’s directorate general of intellectual property on 3 July for class 12, securing protection until 3 July 2033. BYD subsequently applied to register the same name in the same class on 8 August 2024.

BYD launched the Denza brand and its first product in Indonesia, the D9, in January 2025.

BYD initially sued Worcas in January 2025 to cancel its registration, arguing that Denza was internationally recognised and that the registration had been made in bad faith. The Central Jakarta Commercial Court rejected the claim on 28 April 2025.

The Supreme Court subsequently rejected BYD’s appeal and granted Worcas’ appeal, overturning the lower court’s decision. In a ruling, the Supreme Court declared BYD’s lawsuit inadmissible because of an error in identifying the proper defendant, as ownership of the trademark had already transferred from Worcas to Raden Reza Adi.

BYD’s June 2026 lawsuit against both parties has since progressed through the written response, reply and rejoinder stages. A hearing scheduled for 22 October was set to address documentary evidence from Raden Reza Adi, alongside additional documentary evidence from BYD and Worcas.

Against this legal backdrop, BYD Motor Indonesia stopped using the Denza name in its domestic communications from 1 October 2026, replacing it with Danza. The company has said the change reflects its preference for building its local brand and marketing strategy around a name it can use with greater long-term certainty.

However, Denza remains the brand’s global identity in other contexts.

BYD has also reiterated that it respects the ongoing legal process. In a statement reported by CNN Indonesia, BYD Motor Indonesia head of PR and government relations Luther Panjaitan said the case was being handled directly by the company’s legal team.

He added that the company remained committed to developing its Indonesian business and bringing products and services to the market.

The latest lawsuit is scheduled for its next hearing on 23 February 2027, following the postponement of the initial hearing on 22 September to allow the seven defendants to be summoned.

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