Michelin North America, Inc. filed suit against a Canadian company for manufacturing a remold tire that violates Michelin’s intellectual property rights protecting the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire.
Michelin filed a lawsuit in the North District of New York, United States (Michelin v. Techno Pneu, Inc., case no. 6:23-cv-1568-AMN-TWD).
In its complaint, Michelin alleges that Techno Pneu has manufactured remolded products that infringe on a design patent protecting Michelin’s BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire tread.
Moreover, Techno Pneu’s website advertises that its remolded products – including the products that are alleged to infringe the design patent protecting Michelin’s BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tread design – are for sale in the U.S.
Michelin seeks legal and equitable remedies for infringement of its patent rights resulting from Techno Pneu’s actions and conduct.
“The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire and its legacy represent the achievement of many years of technical development in the Michelin organization,” said Harold Phillips, global general manager of the BFGoodrich brand for Group Michelin. “Michelin will actively defend its products, and we will continue to protect our intellectual property rights.”
The original BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO tire, the predecessor for the current BFGoodrich Tires All-Terrain T/A KO2 product protected by the litigation, created and defined a new, essential category when it was introduced in 1976. Every tire is stamped with “Baja Champion” on the sidewall, representing its class-winning status in the grueling SCORE Baja 1000. This tire also is consistently ranked at or near the top of its category, based on performance and driver preference. Buyers on tirerack.com, for example, report driving the BFGoodrich Tires All-Terrain T/A KO2 more than 30 million miles and assign a 4.5-star rating (from a maximum 5 stars).
This tire has been selected as original equipment for the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The tire has been recommended by experts at respected outlets such as Outside magazine, Gear Patrol, Car & Driver magazine, Four-Wheeler magazine and many others.