Toyo Tires has struck a blow to Kabushikiki Kaisha Tokyo Nihoon Rubber Corp., a Beijing-based holding company, and its associated business, Japan Toyomoto Tire Corp.
Toyo was granted a permanent injunction against Toyomoto, which prohibits their use of the “Toyomoto” mark. The U.S. District Court also awarded Toyo Tires $300,000 in statutory damages.
“Toyomoto has merely piggy-backed off of Toyo’s success; Toyomoto markets its counterfeit products on various deceptively named websites, passes itself off as being a Japan-based company…” the ruling stated.
Toyo Tires first learned that Toyomoto was infringing its marks when the two companies attended the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas exactly a year ago.
“We are pleased the court ruled in our favor,” says Iori Suzuki, Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “We take counterfeiting and trademark infringement by companies such as Toyomoto very seriously and remain committed to vigorously protecting our long established and highly reputable ‘TOYO’ trade name and trademark.”
