Michelin Drops ‘Infringement’ Case

Michelin has ended its attempts to sue a 78-year-old pamphleteer. Shimon Tzavbar, who faced bankruptcy as a result of the legal proceedings, agreed not to use the firm’s name on an “unofficial” guide to Israeli jails.Michelin also withdrew a demand for Mr Tzabar to pay any of its legal costs.

Givign evidence the writer had said: “In order to make a satire that will catch the public eye, one has to use a name or symbol that is famous. The same way that the artist Andy Warhol used the famous Campbell soup name and logo to change the consumerism of society, so did I use the famous Michelin name to spread awareness of a great human tragedy, a tragedy that the Jews in Israel should know all about.”

The company had said his depiction of the Michelin man, with one arm raised and a tyre in his other hand, infringed its trademark rights.