BERLIN, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - European car giants Daimler and Fiat have launched legal proceedings against Chinese manufacturers amid a growing copyright row, the Automotive News Europe magazine said in its Monday edition.

Daimler of Germany is attempting to block the sale of the Noble produced by Shuanghuan, a small car that Daimler says is strikingly similar to the Smart Fortwo it produces, the report said.

Shuanghuan decided not to exhibit the Noble at the prestigious Frankfurt International Motor Show last month after legal threats from Daimler.

FRANKFURT, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - German automakers Daimler and Volkswagen will take a minority stake in Choren Industries to help the company develop a synthetic, second generation biofuel known as BTL, VW said Thursday.

Financial details were not provided on the deal that calls for construction of a test BTL (biomass to liquid) plant in Freiberg, eastern Germany that would make enough fuel for 15,000 cars a year from 2008.

Choren plans a second site that would raise production to 200,000 metric tons, or enough for around 200,000 vehicles, the VW statement said.

MILAN, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - The Italian group Fiat said Wednesday it was in talks with the German automaker Daimler's Mercedes division on possible cooperation, but also with other groups.

'We have contacts with Mercedes, as with others,' Fiat chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said in a comment on a press report about possible joint efforts to produce cheaper entry-level Mercedes models.

'But it is still too early to talk of an alliance,' he said.

FRANKFURT, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - The German automaker Daimler is in talks with Fiat of Italy about possible joint efforts to produce cheaper entry-level Mercedes models, a report said on Wednesday.

Dieter Zetsche, the head of Mercedes' parent company Daimler, and Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne have discussed using the chassis of Fiat's Grande Punto and Bravo models to produce future ranges of the Mercedes A and B class, according to the report in Auto, Motor und Sport magazine.

BERLIN, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - Shareholders in the German car maker formerly known as DaimlerChrysler agreed on Thursday to change the name of the company to Daimler, reflecting the group's divestment of its troubled US unit Chrysler.

A resolution proposing the name change was presented to shareholders at a meeting here late on Thursday and approved by 98.76 percent of the votes.

A small group of shareholders had sought to change the group's name back to Daimler-Benz, arguing that Daimler sounded 'cold and unfeeling' whereas Daimler-Benz AG was 'familiar and warm.'

BERLIN, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - Bosses at German car giant Daimler, a major shareholder in Airbus parent company EADS, on Thursday denied any involvement in an insider trading scandal at the European aerospace group.

Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche said his company was 'beyond reproach' while Manfred Bischoff, head of the Daimler supervisory board, denied that he had sold EADS shares for personal gain.

FRANKFURT, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - German automaker DaimlerChrysler is to be renamed simply Daimler AG on Thursday, reflecting the company's divestment of its troubled US unit Chrysler.

Shareholders meeting in Berlin are expected to approve the new name despite some scepticism and the fact that Daimler will still own almost 20 percent of the US car company.

'Daimler AG sounds cold and unfeeling. Daimler-Benz AG sounds familiar and warm,' said Paul Russmann, the spokesman for shareholders who oppose the move.