PARIS (Dec. 13)—Group Michelin is going on the offensive in Europe against distributors of truck tires that Michelin considers counterfeit copies of its products, threatening legal action against violators and notifying European Union authorities of the situation.
Michelin said it has notified more than 5,000 European distributors of the risks associated with selling counterfeit goods, and it has filed suit against one distributor that sold truck tires built in Asia with tread patterns that mimic Michelin's.
Such counterfeiting "represents misuse of Michelin's expertise and is designed to trick customers into believing that the fake tires deliver the same performance as the real product," Michelin said, while stressing that imitation products don't offer the same performance as the Michelin tires, notably in terms of traction and durability.
Michelin said it condemns these acts of piracy and will join government and EU authorities in deploying all necessary measures to protect its technology and to ensure the safety of road users.