Losing Trademark Dispute, BYD Renames Denza to Danza in Indonesia
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- BYD Motor Indonesia resmi mengganti nama merek premium Denza menjadi Danza setelah kalah dalam sengketa merek dagang di Mahkamah Agung.
- Langkah ini menegaskan komitmen jangka panjang BYD di pasar otomotif Indonesia, meski harus mengorbankan ekuitas merek yang sudah terbangun.
- Permohonan merek Danza telah diajukan ke DJKI sejak Agustus 2025, dan dealer mulai beralih identitas dalam beberapa bulan terakhir.
BYD Motor Indonesia has finally changed the name of its premium brand from Denza to Danza. The decision was made after the company lost a trademark dispute at the Supreme Court, which rejected BYD Company Limited's cassation appeal in the case over the Denza name.
Head of Public Relations and Government Relations at BYD Motor Indonesia, Luther Panjaitan, said the change was a firm step to show the company's commitment to developing premium mobility in Indonesia. "This is a firm step by the company regarding our long-term commitment to continue developing premium mobility in Indonesia," he said in a short message.
Although it had to change its identity, BYD promised to keep delivering technological innovation and the best products, as well as strengthening after-sales service to meet the evolving needs of customers. However, the name change is not without consequences. Denza has been known as a premium brand with a certain customer base, and the name change could affect market perception as well as the resale value of vehicles already on the road.
The name change had actually been rumored for several months. A number of Denza dealers began changing their identities, triggering speculation among automotive observers. However, in August 2026, Luther denied that it was part of a minor global identity refresh. Now, after the court ruling, BYD can no longer keep the Denza name.
In the ruling, the Supreme Court granted the cassation appeal by PT Worcas Nusantara Abadi and declared BYD's lawsuit inadmissible. The panel of judges found that BYD had targeted the wrong party in its lawsuit because ownership of the Denza trademark had been transferred to PT Raden Reza Adi. As a result, BYD must find a new name for its premium product line in Indonesia.
"Just as Denza in its purpose is a brand name, so there is no intended meaning, for example, and it has indeed gone through consideration by our product division, using that name more as an object later in commercializing it," Luther said in April 2026.
Luther explained that Danza was not designed to have a specific meaning, but rather serves as a brand identity for commercial purposes. Danza's main advantage lies in its pronunciation, which is similar to Denza, so it is expected to preserve consumer recall of the previous brand.
BYD's move is an important lesson for foreign automotive companies wanting to enter Indonesia: brand strength is not only about products, but also legal compliance and intellectual property strategy. Trademark disputes can become an expensive boomerang, especially if they are not anticipated from the start. BYD, as a major global electric vehicle player, has had to spend extra to rebuild awareness of the Danza brand from scratch.
On the other hand, Indonesia's premium automotive market is increasingly competitive. Danza's presence must compete with established European and Japanese brands. Even so, BYD has strong technological capital and a strong distribution network. The question is whether Indonesian consumers will accept Danza as well as they accepted Denza. Time will tell, but BYD's move to immediately file the Danza trademark with DJKI shows it does not want to lose momentum.
