Bridgestone Corp. announced its success in a trademark infringement complaint against Chinese manufacturers that attempted to infringe on Bridgestone intellectual property under the names “Rockstone” and “Bridgesteel.”
Bridgestone filed a trademark infringement complaint against Shandong Santai Rubber Co. Ltd., an entity that manufactured and marketed tires under the “Rockstone” brand, a name which closely resembles the famous Bridgestone trademark, the company said.
In addition, Bridgestone has taken actions to prevent the distribution of Shandong Santai products to various regions globally. These responses included filing a trademark complaint in the Netherlands in October against a Shandong Santai dealership, Heuver Banden Groothandel BV.
As a result of these legal actions, in November Bridgestone reached an agreement with the dealership, and in December it also reached an agreement with Shandong Santai, the result of which included the suspension of the manufacturing and marketing of tires using the “Rockstone” name.
Bridgestone filed a trademark infringement complaint against Hangzhou Bridgesteel Rubber Co. Ltd., a company that manufactured and marketed conveyor belts under the “Bridgesteel” brand, a name which closely resembles the Bridgestone registered trademark, according to the company.
In September 2007, Bridgestone filed a trademark infringement complaint at the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court, and a decision to uphold the complaint was issued at the end of 2008.
The Court ruled that the plaintiff must cease use of the “Bridgesteel” trademark and its Chinese equivalent, dispose of the molds, and cease use of the Chinese equivalent of “Bridgesteel” as its company name. (Courtesy of Tire Review)
