Michelin launches court cases over copycat tyres
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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.