Bridgestone wins trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit

Tokyo, Japan — Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced it has received a favorable ruling from the Jiangsu High People’s Court in a lawsuit regarding trademark infringement and violation of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. The lawsuit was filed against Qinghe County Dongsheng Lubricating Oil Co., Ltd., Wucheng County Laocheng Town Haomei General Store, Wuxi Liyuan Lubricating Oil Co., Ltd., and two related individuals (the defendants).

In April 2021, Bridgestone initiated legal proceedings after discovering that the defendants had unlawfully used Bridgestone’s Chinese corporate name “普利司通” in the manufacturing and sale of lubricant oil products. The court recognized that these activities constituted trademark infringement and a violation of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. In June 2025, the Jiangsu High People’s Court ruled in favor of Bridgestone, ordering the defendants to pay damages totaling 2.5 million Chinese yuan (approximately 50 million Japanese yen.

Bridgestone treats intellectual property as a key management resource and, regardless of country or region, takes any unauthorized use or infringement of its patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property very seriously. The company has strengthened its internal monitoring protocols and interdepartmental collaboration to enhance its ability to detect and respond more swiftly to potential infringements. Bridgestone will continue to take decisive action, including reporting to authorities and pursuing legal remedies, to protect its rights.