Mitsubishi Sues Bombardier Over Outlander Model Name

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., maker of the Outlander sport utility vehicle, has filed a lawsuit to block Bombardier Inc. from copying the model name for its all-terrain vehicle, or ATV.

Mitsubishi’s North American unit said consumers would be mistakenly led to believe it makes the ATV and it wants a federal judge in Santa Ana to halt Bombardier’s use of the Outlander name in any products or advertisements.

The Japanese carmaker said it filed for a U.S. trademark in 1997 and began promoting the Outlander SUV last spring. It has sold about 25,000 SUVs for $500 million since September. Mitsubishi said it wrote to the Montreal-based rival in December about the name.

Bombardier “adopted the identical mark Outlander to identify ATVs with knowledge of Mitsubishi’s prior trademark rights,” the suit contends. It was filed Feb. 10.

A spokeswoman for Bombardier declined to comment.