Chinese carmaker Chery Auto Company can't be identified as infringing the patent right of US General Motors, nor carrying out illegal competition activity.

An official from the State Intellectual Property Office says the infringement won't be set up unless US General Motors provides how Chery Company gained information about Spark's appearance by illegal means.

Whether Chery QQ has copied the appearance of SPARK and infringed the patent right of GM has been in heated debate.

US General Motors had announced the QQ mini car of Chery Automobile Company in East China's Anhui Province as being a copy of Chevrolet's Spark.

General Motors claimed that both the QQ and Spark are based on the Matiz of South Korea's Daewoo Motor, which has already been acquired by GM.

(CRI.com September 8, 2004)