SHIREBROOK, England — Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (SRI) has completed the acquisition of the trademark rights to the Dunlop brand in 86 countries where it previously licensed the rights from Sports Direct International P.L.C.
Sumitomo is paying $137.5 million to acquire the Dunlop trademark rights in various countries and territories, as well as SDI's Dunlop sporting goods and licensing business.
Sumitomo set up a joint venture company, Dunlop International Co., in Kobe, Japan, to oversee the sporting goods business. SRI is the two-thirds majority owner,
SRI is now 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.