Tokyo (July 31, 2018) –Bridgestone Corporation today announced that it has received a favorable ruling from the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court in its lawsuit regarding the infringement of patent rights against major Chinese tire manufacturer Fangxing Rubber Co., Ltd. (Fangxing).

In September 2017, the Company filed a lawsuit with the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. The lawsuit claimed that tire manufacturing and sales activities conducted by Fangxing utilized the tread pattern* of truck tires for which the Company has taken out a patent and that these activities were therefore in violation of the Company’s patent rights. In May 2018, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court upheld Bridgestone’s claim and ordered Fangxing to cease activities that are in violation of the Company's patent rights and pay damages to the Company in the amount of approximately 620,000 Chinese yuan.

The violated patent rights pertained to Bridgestone’s R118 truck tire tread pattern (see diagram below). The R118 truck tire tread pattern was developed proprietarily by Bridgestone for China and other Asian markets.

Bridgestone’s R118 truck tire tread pattern

Bridgestone strives to provide customers with safe and reliable products and to combat the risks of customers mistakenly purchasing counterfeit Bridgestone products. Accordingly, Bridgestone takes seriously any unauthorized use or infringement of its patents, trademarks or any other intellectual property in a strict manner. With this level of vigilance, Bridgestone is prioritizing the safety and reliability associated with its products and maintaining and enhancing its hard-earned brand value.

*Tread pattern etched into the section of the tire that comes into direct contact with the road’s surface