Australian Federal Court bans Bob Jane from selling tires

ERJ staff report (TP)

Melbourne, Australia − Tire king Bob Jane has been officially dethroned after he was today banned from selling tires or wheels using his name, reported Shannon Deery for the Herald Sun.

The wide-ranging Federal Court ban is a crushing blow for the former racing legend, who amassed a fortune estimated to be worth more than A$100m (€67m) through his tire business Bob Jane T-Marts.

He successfully ran the company for more than 40 years from 1965 before the wheels fell off in 2011 after a falling out with his son Rodney.

As a result Bob Jane, 83, stood down as chairman, shareholder and owner of the company and told franchisees he was in the process of establishing a series of new global tire companies.

Rodney Jane took over the Bob Jane T-Mart business and the pair have been locked in bitter, and public, legal battles since.

Today the Federal Court sided with Rodney Jane when it banned Bob Jane from selling, supplying or promoting the sale of tires or wheels using his name or surname.

The four-time Bathurst winner has also been banned from selling car batteries, accessories or services relating to the fitting of tires or wheels.

The ban includes trading as a business under any name that is or includes the word "Jane".

Rodney Jane had argued a string of his dad's new businesses were infringing on their trademark.

It means Bob Jane will be forced to change the name of companies he started including Bob Jane Global and Jane Tyres.

The ruling is the second win for Rodney Jane this year after he went head to head with his famous dad in the Supreme Court over a A$3m (€2m) debt Bob Jane claimed he was owed.

Throughout the extraordinary civil trial, which Bob Jane eventually lost, he alleged his son had tricked him out of the Bob Jane T-Mart business and caused him to lose his estimated A$100m (€67m) empire.

On Friday the feuding pair were back in the Supreme Court for a directions hearing regarding an order freezing the assets of Bob and Laree Jane.

That case revolves around a Supreme Court writ alleging Bob Jane signed his multi-million- dollar farm over to Laree Jane in September to keep it from creditors, including his estranged son.

The writ alleges Bob Jane transferred the sprawling property, near Calder Park Raceway, to his wife on or about 17 September for no money, "with love and affection".

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Full story from Herald Sun