Bridgestone wins yet another design right suit in China

For the third time in less than a year, Bridgestone has received a favourable ruling in a design right infringement lawsuit against Chinese tyre manufacturers in the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. This time the companies in question are Shandong Huasheng Rubber Co., Ltd. (Huasheng) and Shandong Hongsheng Rubber Co., Ltd. (Hongsheng).

In January 2017, Bridgestone filed the lawsuit claiming that tyre manufacturing and sales activities conducted by Huasheng and Hongsheng utilised the tread pattern of the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 tyre for 4×4 SUVs, and that these activities were therefore in violation of the company’s design rights.

In October 2019, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court ruled in favor of Bridgestone. Huasheng and Hongsheng were ordered to pay damages to the company in an amount of roughly 900,000 Chinese yuan (approximately €116,400).

In a statement, Bridgestone reiterated that it “takes seriously any unauthorised use or infringement of its patents, design rights, trademarks, or any other intellectual property”.

Bridgestone won design right infringement lawsuits against two Chinese tyre makers in July and September last respectively.