Chinese agency validates VMI claim

The Chinese Intellectual Property Office has ordered Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery Ltd. to stop manufacturing and selling machinery that violates VMI patents, and also to stop making false claims about that machinery. 

In 2014, VMI received reports that Shuangjun was making tire-building machinery that infringed on a key patent involving VMI's tire-building drum. 

VMI made a formal complaint to the IPO, which raided Shuangjun in August 2014. VMI issued a news release about the raid at that time, but it did not reveal the name of the company that was raided. 

“As a direct result of the raid, Shuan-gjun attempted to invalidate VMI's long-standing and world-recognized patents,” VMI said. “Shuangjun completely failed in the invalidation attempt as the Chinese Patent Review Board ruled against Shuangjun and upheld VMI's patent.” 

VMI's worldwide patents are important in maintaining its competitive position among tire machinery makers, the company said in a news release.