Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations L.L.C. (BATO) is suing Houston-based retreader TreadWright L.L.C. over an alleged tread design patent infringement.
BATO filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on April 17 seeking damages and a permanent injunction against TreadWright, the Houston-based bead-to-bead mold-cure retreader of light truck/SUV tires.
TreadWright President Peter Sloan said he had no comment at this time on the lawsuit.
Bridgestone claims in the suit that TreadWright used the patented tread design of the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo tire for producing its Watchman line of retreaded light truck tires.
Bridgestone alleges that TreadWright previously was manufacturing and selling its Sentinel tire line using the patented tread design. Bridgestone said it corresponded with TreadWright about the patent infringement in 2013 and that the Sentinel line has since been discontinued.
On or after June 2013, TreadWright began manufacturing and selling a new tire under the Watchman name which Bridgestone claims also features a tread design similar to its Dueler design.
Nashville-based Bridgestone is seeking actual damages, recovery of court costs and a permanent injunction preventing TreadWright from manufacturing and selling the tread design.