News - 2016

Tokyo (December 9, 2016)-Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced that it has received a favorable ruling from China's Supreme People's Court in a lawsuit alleging infringement of the company's tire tread design rights against Chinese tire manufacturer Triangle Tyre Co., Ltd (Triangle Tyre).

Triangle Tyre had been manufacturing and selling tires in China using a tread pattern* for studless winter tires for which Bridgestone holds exclusive design rights. In October 2013, the Bridgestone filed a lawsuit with the Intermediate People's Court in Changchun, China. The lawsuit claimed that the activities of Triangle Tyre constituted a design rights infringement. In July 2015, the claim made by Bridgestone was upheld, and the court ordered Triangle Tyre to cease manufacture and sale of tires that use the tread pattern and pay damages to Bridgestone. While Triangle Tyre appealed the decision, the High People's Court in Jilin Province upheld the original ruling in January 2016 in a second trial, resulting in a victory for Bridgestone. In June 2016, Triangle Tyre submitted an appeal for a retrial to China's Supreme People's Court. However, in September 2016 this court determined that the result of the second trial was appropriate, rejecting Triangle Tyre's appeal and upholding Bridgestone's claim.

Bridgestone is committed to protecting its intellectual property and will continue to aggressively address any unauthorized use or infringement of its patents, trademarks, or any other intellectual property in a strict manner. With this level of vigilance, Bridgestone is prioritizing the safety and quality associated with its products, and maintaining and enhancing its hard-earned brand value.

* Tread pattern etched into the section of the tire that comes into direct contact with the road's surface