The Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China has ruled in favour of Bridgestone Corporation in a lawsuit against Shandong Hawk International Rubber Industry Co., Ltd. (Hawk Tyre). Bridgestone had alleged that the Chinese manufacturer infringed its tyre tread design rights.
The family ownership of Hankook Tire and Technology must pay a fine of KRW 4.59 billion (£2.9 million) after losing a lawsuit related to foreign assets. Seoul-based publication The Korea Herald writes that the Seoul Administrative Court recently ruled against the lawsuit brought by Cho Yang-rae, honorary chairman of Hankook & Co., and his eldest son Cho Hyun-sik.
Leading tyre building machinery manufacturer VMI Holland B.V. has issued a firm rebuke to Safe-Run Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd after the latter issued a press release on 31 July claiming victory in the companies’ ongoing legal dispute. Contrary to Safe-Run’s view, VMI said the Jiangsu High People’s Court of China’s ruling represented “a major defeat for Safe-Run and almost total vindication of VMI’s position.” VMI first announced it had won “a significant lawsuit” against Safe-Run relating to its intellectual property in February 2021. Subsequently, the Netherlands-based firm said the appeal court finalised its judgement that Safe-Run were infringing on VMI’s two key patents relating to tyre building machines. Safe-Run was ordered to stop infringements immediately and pay VMI damages totalling RMB 2.46 million (around 320,000 euros). VMI notes that these payments are “very high [compared] to the average damage awards of around RMB 100,000 in similar cases in China.” Safe-Run’s statement is not currently available.
Netherlands-based manufacturer of machinery for the tyre and retreading industries, VMI Holland B.V. (VMI), reports having won a “significant lawsuit” in its ongoing legal dispute with Safe-Run Intelligent Equipment Shares Ltd. Co. (Safe-Run). VMI comments that the case in question relates to infringement of intellectual property and patent hijacking, adding that the lawsuit it recently won confirms “the malicious intent of Safe-Run.”
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) shares that a settlement has been reached in its patent infringement lawsuit against Timsum Rubber Tire (Weihai). SRI, which manufactures Dunlop tyres in certain regions outside Europe, filed a lawsuit with the Beijing Intellectual Property Court in response to unauthorised use of the Dunlop Geomax MX52 motocross tyre tread pattern.
Michelin North America, Inc., has agreed to settle lawsuits against Carlstar Group, LLC and former Michelin employee Michael Dotson. A court in the US state of South Carolina has permanently prohibited Dotson from using or revealing any Michelin trade secret or confidential information and ordered him to return any Michelin information in his possession. Dotson also agreed to pay Michelin the financial damages sought in the lawsuit, which accused him of misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of his non-disclosure agreement.
Michelin’s North American operation has filed a suit against a company importing “counterfeit” tyres from China. The tyres in question are said to violate patents for the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2.
A Chinese court has ruled in favour of Bridgestone Corporation in its patent infringement lawsuit against Chinese tyre manufacturers Guangzhou South China Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. and Wanli Tire Co., Ltd. (Wanli Tire).
A further victory for Bridgestone Corporation in its battle against patent infringement was delivered by the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court, which ruled favourably in its lawsuit against Chinese tyre manufacturer Fangxing Rubber Co., Ltd. (Fangxing).
A settlement has been reached between Michelin North America Inc. and Tire Mart Inc. regarding alleged design patent infringements. Terms of the settlement, which centres on design patents for the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM2, have not been disclosed.
It isn’t just copycats in China that the tyre majors are going after. Michelin North America reports that it filed a lawsuit against Tire Recappers of Nashville yesterday. Michelin alleges that the manufacturer and seller of retreaded SUV, crossover and crossover tyres infringed design patents covering the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 and Michelin LTX M/S2 tyres.
Florida, US-based tyre wholesaler Tire Group International LLC (TGI) has initiated legal proceedings against two companies, Amrik International Trading LLC and Neeto International General Trading LLC, and against all respective principles, including Sabjot Singh Sahni, Simar Singh Sahni, Jasbeer Singh Sahni, and Neeto Singh Sahni.
Michelin North America shares that it has “reached favourable settlement agreements” with Atturo Tire Corporation and Svizz-One Corporation Ltd., regarding the patent infringement suit it filed in the US District Court in Greenville, South Carolina on 13 May. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
In a unanimous verdict handed down on 19 November, a jury in the US state of Arizona found in favour of Michelin North America on all claims relating to a product liability lawsuit filed by plaintiff Kimberly Allen. The verdict followed a three-week trial in the Arizona State Court.
The lawyers defending 11 former Pirelli managers convicted over asbestos-related deaths say they will appeal the charges. Yesterday a court in Milan convicted the managers of culpable homicide over the deaths of 24 workers employed at the company’s Bicocca plant in the 1970s and 1980s. The employees died from tumours said to have developed due to exposure from asbestos at the facility.
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