According to court documents seen by Reuters on Monday, August 18th, the Brazilian subsidiary of China’s ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing, called 99, filed a lawsuit in a court in Sao Paulo against Keeta, a Chinese competitor under Meituan’s umbrella, accusing Keeta of trademark infringement and unfair competition.
In the lawsuit filed on Monday, 99 alleged that Keeta used colors, graphics, and fonts similar to those of the 99 platform, aiming to “quickly advance its business operations in the Brazilian market.”
The lawsuit stated, “The significant visual similarities… lead to unnecessary confusion among consumers, as the defendant attempts to ‘ride on the coattails of 99’,” and requested the court to order Keeta to change its logo.
On April 5th this year, Didi announced that it would relaunch its food delivery business in Brazil under the brand name “99 Food.”
In a statement to Reuters, Keeta mentioned that its logo and colors have been associated with Meituan for over 14 years and have been linked to Keeta itself for the past three years. 99 declined to comment on the matter.
Just a few days ago, Keeta, poised to enter the Brazilian market, filed a lawsuit against Didi’s 99 in Sao Paulo, accusing the latter’s food delivery app 99Food of attempting to prevent certain partner restaurants from signing contracts with more than two food delivery platforms. Keeta is currently preparing to file a lawsuit with Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE.
Furthermore, labor enforcement efforts in Brazil have intensified, with Chinese automaker BYD being fined for confiscating employee passports and violating wage regulations. Foreign companies are now mandated to prioritize compliance with Brazilian labor regulations, including strict provisions on working hours, benefits, and employee rights.