Michelin Going After Counterfeiters

(Akron/Tire Review) Groupe Michelin has gone on the attack against alleged counterfeit tyres, calling on the European Union Trade Commission to take action against a flood of counterfeit medium truck tyres, units the manufacturer said could pose highway dangers.

According to news reports, Michelin officials wrote to Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, and Gunter Verheugen, commissioner for enterprise and industry, requesting a meeting to discuss its concerns over so-called “fake” Michelin brand truck tyres, most of which, the tyremaker claimed, were coming from Asia.

In addition, Michelin warned its distributors that it would take legal action against any wholesaler or dealer that knowingly sold counterfeit Michelin tyres.

The report also said that Groupe Michelin has launched legal action against a distributor in the US and one in China that were discovered selling fake Michelin tyres. According to the report, the distributors copied the tyre tread patterns, the tyre serial numbers and even added warranty documentation.

Michelin claims that some 50,000 to 70,000 counterfeit Michelin truck tyres were sold in Europe over the past 18 months, but said that information was “anecdotal,” according to the reports. The tyres, said the report, were being sold at half the price of legitimate tyres, somewhere between 200 and 250 euros.

“We are very concerned not to have these tyres on the road,” said Philippe Verneuil, head of Michelin’s European truck tyre business. “They can create a danger to drivers and the road.”