Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it received a favourable ruling in its design right infringement lawsuit against Chinese tyre manufacturers Shandong Huasheng Rubber Co., Ltd. and Shandong Hongsheng Rubber Co., Ltd. in the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court.
In January 2017, Bridgestone filed the lawsuit claiming that tire manufacturing and sales activities conducted by Huasheng and Hongsheng utilized the tread pattern of the Bridgestone BLIZZAK DM-V1 tyre for 4×4 sport utility vehicles, and that these activities were therefore in violation of the company’s design rights. In October 2019, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court ruled in favour of Bridgestone. Huasheng and Hongsheng were ordered to pay damages to the company in an amount of roughly 900,000 Chinese yuan (approximately 13.5 million Japanese yen).
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Bridgestone says it takes seriously any unauthorised use or infringement of its patents, design rights, trademarks, or any other intellectual property. With this level of vigilance, Bridgestone maintains it is prioritising the safety and reliability associated with its products and maintaining and enhancing its hard-earned brand value.
