Japanese tire company Bridgestone (headquartered in Tokyo) announced a victory over patent infringement by a Chinese tire maker in China’s Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. The victory came in May 2018 and Bridgestone announced it online on July 31.
The court awarded Bridgestone damages for 620,000 RMB (about US$90,000) and ordered Fangxing, the offending company, to cease infringing activities. The patent claims are for particular treadmarks on tires that Bridgestone has developed and been selling to Asian markets.
Actually, Bridgestone won a similar patent infringement case in April 2017 against another Chinese company, that time also at the Shanghai IP Court. WIPO posted an article by Ms. ZHAO Wen, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, two years ago, touting China’s (particularly Shanghai’s) increasing care to be known for good IP protection. While piracy of copyrighted goods and forced technology claims are still big issues in the air, it is clear that China is making efforts to protect foreign intellectual property.
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Taro Yaguchi
Sources
Bridgestone, “Fangxing社との特許権侵害訴訟 上海知識産権法院でブリヂストンが勝訴 [Patent infringement case against Fangxing: Bridgestone wins in Shanghai Intellectual Property Court],” news release, July 31, 2018.
________, “WANLIタイヤ社との特許権侵害訴訟 上海知識産権法院で当社が勝訴 [Patent infringement case against WANLI Tire Co.: Our company wins in Shanghai Intellectual Property Court],” news release, May 31, 2017.
ZHAO Wen, “Building Respect for IP in Shanghai“, WIPO Magazine (Nov. 2016).
