1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190 
Michelin launches court cases over copycat tyres
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The manufacturer is taking legal action in the US and Europe against distributors that sell Michelin lookalikes. David Harris reports.
MICHELIN HAS become so concerned about 'copycat' truck tyres that it is taking distributors all over Europe and America to court for selling them.
It says the tyres, usually made in Asia, look like Michelins but do not deliver the same grip or longevity.
The action is being co-ordinated by Michelin in Paris, with cases being launched in France, the UK. Spain, the Netherlands and the US.
In the UK, proceedings have been started against Merseysidebased Kirkby (Tyres) for selling Double Coin tyres. A Michelin spokesman says the case is based not on the tyre patents, but on the allegation that the tread pattern has been designed to look like a Michelin tyre.
Dave Dorrisey, MD of Kirkby Tyres, says: "I can't comment on the case because it is in the hands of our lawyers. But I will say that this tyre design has been on the market for six or seven years, so it seems a bit odd that [Michelin] is taking action now." Michelin previously launched a claim against an alleged copycat manufacturer in China, hut the case was dropped when the firm agreed to stop making them.
In December 2005 Michelin alerted 5,000 dealers to the risks involved in marketing lookalikes but this is its first threat of widespread legal action.