GREENVILLE, S.C.—Michelin seeks damages and a permanent injunction against Atturo Tire Corp. and Svizz-One Corp. for alleged infringement of a Michelin tire tread design patent.
Filed May 13 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in Greenville, Michelin's complaint accuses Atturo and Svizz-One of deliberately copying Michelin's U.S. Design Patent No. D483,322 (referred to as the ‘322 patent in the complaint) and offering tires with the copycat treads for sale on the open market.
Atturo exports the infringing products, which are manufactured by Svizz-One in Thailand, into the U.S. for sale under the Atturo AZ600 brand name, according to the complaint.
Michelin has not granted any licenses to either Atturo or Svizz-One to use the ‘322 patent, according to the complaint.
“Defendants' direct infringement of the ‘322 patent irreparably harms Michelin, including, for example, avoiding Michelin's right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or offering to sell products embodying the invention patented in the ‘322 patent,” the complaint said. “Michelin is without adequate remedy at law.”
Besides a permanent injunction against Atturo and Svizz-One using the ‘322 design, Michelin seeks all profits derived from their alleged patent infringements, as well as attorneys' fees, court costs and other damages.