July 27, 2021—General Motors has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent Ford Motor Co. from using the name "BlueCruise" for its hands-free driving system.
According to report from the Detroit Free Press, GM filed the trademark infringement suit against Ford in U.S. District Court after "good-faith conversations" between the two automakers hit an agreed-upon expiration date of July 24. General Motors claims Ford's "BlueCruise" system is too closely named to its "Super Cruise" hands-free system, which debuted in 2017.
"While GM had hoped to resolve the trademark infringement matter with Ford amicably, we were left with no choice but to vigorously defend our brands and protect the equity our products and technology have earned over several years in the market," GM said in the lawsuit. "Ford knew exactly what it was doing. If Ford wanted to adopt a new, unique, brand, it easily could have done so without using the word 'Cruise.'"
GM is seeking monetary damages and for Ford to be ordered to stop using the name. A Ford spokesperson has responded by calling the lawsuit "meritless and frivolous."
