KOBE, Japan (Dec. 28, 2016) — Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (SRI) has struck a deal to acquire the trademark rights to the Dunlop brand in 86 countries where it currently operates as a licensee of Sports Direct International P.L.C. (SDI).
SRI has agreed to pay $137.5 million to SDI for the trademark rights as well as SDI's Dunlop-branded sporting goods and licensing businesses.
Among the countries where SRI operates as a licensee are Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Thailand.
SRI has established a new subsidiary, Dunlop International Co. Ltd., to effect the purchase and manage the assets. The new company is jointly owned by SRI and SRI's Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. unit.
Among the products affected are Dunlop-brand tennis, squash, badminton, golf, racket and table tennis balls and racquets and clothing.
After the completion of this transaction, SRI will become the owner and licensor of Dunlop trademark rights globally, except in Europe, North America, India, Australia and a few other, unnamed countries. Goodyear controls, with some exceptions, the rights to the Dunlop brand for tires in North America and Europe as part of the dissolution in 2015 of the SRI-Goodyear global alliance.