Tesla has won a lawsuit against a Chinese car reviewer and TikToker who the car manufacturer alleged had damaged its reputation in the country.
The car reviewer, known as Boss Cai, was sued by the electric car manufacturer in June 2022 for infringing on their good name by spreading false rumors through his Douyin account, the Chinese version of TikTok.
The drama started in 2021 after Cai posted a video where he claimed that a friend working at a Tesla supplier had told him Tesla pressured its suppliers to lower their prices while it was building its Shanghai Gigafactory. Cai also claimed that Tesla’s quality inspectors had not done their jobs properly and were using their positions to obtain personal advantages.
Tesla quickly sued Cai and noted that he used the popular video to promote his own company, leading Tesla to suggest that he bad-mouthed it in order to gain followers and publicity.
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The court initially found in October that the content of Cai’s video was fabricated and intended to insult and defame Tesla. He was ordered to apologize and pay the automaker 100,000 yuan (~$14,500). Cai appealed the decision but on March 14, his appeal was rejected. He must now pay the 100,000 yuan (~$14,500) in compensation and must also publicly apologize to Tesla within 15 days, Car News China reports. Cai must post his apology to TikTok, WeChat, and Weibo and keep it live for at least 90 days.
Tesla is no stranger to lawsuits but in most cases, it is disgruntled owners, shareholders, and employees that sue the brand.
