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Bridgestone has recently announced that it has received a favourable ruling from the China’s Supreme People’s Court in a lawsuit alleging infringement of the company’s tyre tread design rights against Chinese tyre manufacturer Triangle Tyre Co., Ltd (Triangle Tyre).
The main point of contention between the two tyre manufacturers was on the use of “Tread Pattern”. Tread pattern is engraved into the section of the tyre that comes into direct contact with the road surface. Bridgestone alleged that the Triangle tyre had been manufacturing and selling tyres in China using a tread pattern for its studless winter tyres for which Bridgestone holds exclusive design rights.
The following timeline shows the major development in the infringing rights case involving the two:
October, 2013 – The Japanese manufacturer filed a suit with the Intermediate People’s Court in Changchun, China. This lawsuit claimed that the activities of the Triangle Tyre constituted a design rights infringement.
July, 2015 – By this time the claim made by Bridgestone was upheld and the Intermediate People’s Court ordered Triangle Tyre to stop manufacturing and sales of tyres that use the tread pattern, which is exclusively held by Bridgestone, and to pay the damages to Bridgestone. Triangle tyre appealed against this decision to the High Court.
January, 2016 – The High People’s Court in Jilin Province upheld the original ruling in a second trial, resulting in the victory of Bridgestone.
July, 2016 – Triangle tyre submitted an appeal for a retrial to China’s Supreme People’s Court.
September, 2016 – However, this court determined the result of the second trial that was appropriate thus rejecting triangle Tyre’s appeal and upholding Bridgestone’s claim.
In a statement, Bridgestone confirms to its commitment of protecting its Intellectual Property and will continue to aggressively address any unauthorised use or infringement of its Patents, Trademarks, or any other Intellectual Property in a strict manner. With this level of vigilance, Bridgestone is prioritising the safety and quality associated with its products and maintaining and enhancing its hard-earned brand value.
About Bridgestone:
Bridgestone Corp, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company whose products are sold in over 150 nations and territories all over the world.
About Triangle:
Triangle group or Triangle Tyre is a Chinese tyre company that was formed in 1976, with headquarter in Weihai (Shandong, China). It manufactures a range of tyres for vehicles from passenger cars to construction equipment and tires fit for special purposes.
