VMI wins intellectual property lawsuit in China

Epe, The Netherlands – Dutch tire machinery producer VMI has won a lawsuit against Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery Ltd concerning an infringement of its patent for tire building drums.

“The Chinese Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has ordered the offending company to stop manufacturing, offering for sale and making false claims about the product,” said a VMI press release on 28 April.

According to VMI, the Chinese machinery company was reported to have illegally infringed a key patent related to VMI’s tire building drum and have falsely passed off the resulting copies as their own property in 2014.

As a result of VMI’s formal complaint, the IPO carried out a raid on the premises of Shangjun Plastic and Rubber in August 2014. After collecting evidence, IPO formally ruled on 8 April that Shuangjun infringed VMI’s patent, added the release.

The IPO ruling also states that Shangjun’s activity was a clear case of copying VMI’s intellectual property “with the intention of deceiving clients into buying imitation products, falsely ‘passed-off’ as Shangjun property,” added the statement.

Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Ltd has been ordered to stop production of the copied drum, and to stop offering for sale or otherwise taking into the market any further copies of the VMI product.

VMI added that it is now considering actions against other "infringers" in the market to protect its technology, products and reputation.