Tesla sues Top Gear for libel

[boblaw]

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1...ious-falsehood

Didn't see this one lol. Wonder who comes out on top...

[Ultimas]

[UltimateBMW]

That doesn't make me want a Tesla anymore than before.

[E90SLAM]

LMAO!!!!

The episode ran more than a year ago!!! (December 14, 2008!!! Season 12 Episode 7) Took them that long to sue BBC?
The Tesla Motor legal department just happened to catch the re-runs on BBC America instead???

They must be..."we're bored...we don't have any more new computer battery filled vehicles to show people stationary"....let sue someone! (Given its an American company....they love to sue people)

OR they starting to ran out of money and looking for some "settlements"...

In fact, if they really want to sue BBC, there must be a loooong line of people who want to sue Top Gear and especially Jeremy Clarkson....take a number Tesla!

This just proves Top Gear is so successful, that the BS they made will create a negative image.

If Tesla really has a great car, it will prove itself. TG made many bad comments on various cars, and many still sell very well around the globe.

[blue2fire]

If it is so, every car company has a case against Top Gear for generally lying.

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by blue2fire

If it is so, every car company has a case against Top Gear for generally lying.

Pretty much this.

[E90SLAM]

This summer, we will see the trio making fun of Tesla during the "news" session when TG returns in June 2011.

[MisterSkiMask]

If what they claim is true, I would be very disappointed in Top Gear. I know it is entertainment, but the presenters opinions and conclusions, whatever they may be should be based on fact, not fabrication.

[escobar929]

lol they fail

[BTM]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

LMAO!!!!

The episode ran more than a year ago!!! (December 14, 2008!!! Season 12 Episode 7) Took them that long to sue BBC?
The Tesla Motor legal department just happened to catch the re-runs on BBC America instead???

They must be..."we're bored...we don't have any more new computer battery filled vehicles to show people stationary"....let sue someone! (Given its an American company....they love to sue people)

OR they starting to ran out of money and looking for some "settlements"...

In fact, if they really want to sue BBC, there must be a loooong line of people who want to sue Top Gear and especially Jeremy Clarkson....take a number Tesla!

This just proves Top Gear is so successful, that the BS they made will create a negative image.

If Tesla really has a great car, it will prove itself. TG made many bad comments on various cars, and many still sell very well around the globe.

Did you read the link? (Rhetorical)

Tesla's attempts to contact BBC had been repeatedly ignored, so they "reluctantly" are suing them

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by BTM

Did you read the link? (Rhetorical)

Tesla's attempts to contact BBC had been repeatedly ignored, so they "reluctantly" are suing them

Yes..."over the course of months"....but the episode was aired more than TWO YEARS!!!!

I'm not sure if its several months after it first aired, or just the past several months.
Either way, they're slow....

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by BTM

Did you read the link? (Rhetorical)

Tesla's attempts to contact BBC had been repeatedly ignored, so they "reluctantly" are suing them

+1


If you actually read the article it's made perfectly clear that Tesla has every right to sue. They could easily have lost a good number of prospective owners thanks to the amount of bullshit TG made up. It even states in the article that people are still asking Tesla about the issues on the show.

[FStop7]

Good. TG needs to be taken down a peg or two.

[E90SLAM]

Tesla should've sue them back in 2009 already, or they just havn't seen the episode till last year...then they contact BBC for things that happened such a long time ago.

The timing and description of the article was misleading.
"Over the course of months", which months???

[BTM]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

Yes..."over the course of months"....but the episode was aired more than TWO YEARS!!!!

I'm not sure if its several months after it first aired, or just the past several months.
Either way, they're slow....

I believe it was meant that over the past few months the BBC stopped replying, not that Tesla has only been in contact with them for the past few months. It also might seem delayed as I believe the air-date in question would be the first US broadcast, not British broadcast.

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by BTM

I believe it was meant that over the past few months the BBC stopped replying, not that Tesla has only been in contact with them for the past few months. It also might seem delayed as I believe the air-date in question would be the first US broadcast, not British broadcast.

That's what I said, I'd guess they didn't saw until BBC America aired the episode.

But given they give two of their first baby to Top Gear, they would be interesting to know the review.

[BTM]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

That's what I said, I'd guess they didn't saw until BBC America aired the episode.

What I mean is, depending on where they sell the car, they might not have a lawsuit against broadcasting/rebroadcasting the episode anywhere outside the US. I'm not sure how the law works internationally, but to prove libel in the US, Tesla must show that TG's statement was made with "reckless disregard for the truth"

If what they claim can be proven using the datalogging and raw in-car footage, they certainly have a case.

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by BTM

What I mean is, depending on where they sell the car, they might not have a lawsuit against broadcasting/rebroadcasting the episode anywhere outside the US. I'm not sure how the law works internationally, but to prove libel in the US, Tesla must show that TG's statement was made with "reckless disregard for the truth"

If what they claim can be proven using the datalogging and raw in-car footage, they certainly have a case.

I see what you mean, but for people don't know much about international laws and such. Seems like they're slow in suing BBC.

There might be legal advises to Tesla about what you've said.

[BTM]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

I see what you mean, but for people don't know much about international laws and such. Seems like they're slow in suing BBC.

There might be legal advises to Tesla about what you've said.

Yes it does seem a bit "after the fact" but who knows if they were close to reaching a settlement, how long it took for them to uncover raw footage, etc...

It takes time to build a solid case...and I'm sure BBC America's lawyers aren't exactly stupid either. Will be interesting to see where this goes. I've always wondered about the extent of truthfulness in TG's more recent trips to the US in which they claim they can only produce a "factual documentary" or something to that effect. If they have already been legally required to take a factual stance in the US, but not in the UK where the Tesla segment was filmed, I can see how murky such a suit can get.

[immiketoo]

I think Tesla need to lighten up a bit and realize that no matter how sexy a package they put their car in, America is not ready for that type of vehicle. From a psychological, performance and infrastructure standpoint.

As for TG, it's an entertainment show. Plain and simple. They put the best cars in the world in the uncool section of the cool wall, and do we see Lambo, Porsche or Bugatti suing them for it?

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by immiketoo

I think Tesla need to lighten up a bit and realize that no matter how sexy a package they put their car in, America is not ready for that type of vehicle. From a psychological, performance and infrastructure standpoint.

As for TG, it's an entertainment show. Plain and simple. They put the best cars in the world in the uncool section of the cool wall, and do we see Lambo, Porsche or Bugatti suing them for it?

Calling a car uncool, and claiming that the two examples that were provided by the mfg for testing were not able to be driven are two very different things.

[E90SLAM]

But telling people that one car is "uncool" is different from stating "the M3 we tested can only produce 350hp instead of 414hp BMW claimed, and 0-60 time is 1.3 seconds slower!!!"

Uncool is just a matter of opinion, like personally I do not like the look of the Panamera.