Yamaha Motor obtains settlement in unfair competition case
News Release
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced on Dec. 25 that a settlement has been reached with defendants Eco Trade Co., Ltd. (based in Oita Prefecture, Japan; hereinafter “Eco Trade”) and Taiseienter Co., Ltd. (based in Oita Prefecture, Japan; hereinafter “Taiseienter”) in the lawsuit Yamaha Motor filed on April 5, 2012 seeking damages and an injunction against defendants’ acts of unfair competition (case no. Wa-9924, 2012). The terms and conditions of the settlement satisfy Yamaha Motor’s original objectives in pursuing the lawsuit.
In this lawsuit, which was filed in the Tokyo District Court, Yamaha Motor sought damages and an injunction to prohibit Eco Trade and Taiseienter from manufacturing and selling a certain electric motorcycle model, on the grounds that this model imitated the configuration of Yamaha Motor’s GEAR models, and thus constituted an act of unfair competition.
Yamaha Motor counts its intellectual property rights as core management resources, and will continue to vigorously prosecute any infringement upon them that impedes an environment of fair competition.
Yamaha has been one of the best, I think they are the best, manufacturers of motorsports products in the world. Further their fairness to consumers and dealers ranks as the best. Too often they have suffered needlessly, from ridiculous lawsuits, and copycats. Great that they won this lawsuit.