Yokohama Rubber has won the right to prevent a particular tire that bears more than a passing resemblance to its DNA S.drive high-performance tire from being sold in Japan.
On Jan. 18 the Tokyo Customs Office accepted Yokohama’s application for an import injunction against the tires on the basis that these products infringed Yokohama Rubber’s design rights. As a result, all customs offices in Japan will henceforth prohibit the import of any such product.
The tires in question are sold under the Sumo Firenza brand name, the specific model being the Sumo Firenza ST-08. This tire, manufactured in China by Hangzhou Zhongce, is distributed by Singapore-based Stamford Tyres International. The tread pattern on the ST-08 bears an uncanny likeness to that of Yokohama’s DNA S.drive, a product sold by the Japanese manufacturer since January 2005. Yokohama Rubber reports being aware of the Sumo Firenza tire’s sale in Japan since spring 2007, and the availability of the ST-08 at tire retailers led to the submission of an import injunction last December.
Yokohama Rubber has registered the design rights for DNA S. drive in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, European Union, Russia, South Africa and Brazil. Design rights are currently under examination in Thailand. (Courtesy of Tire Review/Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)
