Lucas Automotive Engineering, Inc. v. Bridgestone/firestone, Inc., and Coker Tire Company

Lucas Automotive Engineering, Inc. (“Lucas Automotive”) appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Coker Tire Company, Inc. (“Coker Tire”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 .

I.

The following statement of facts is taken in part from this court’s decision in Lucas Auto. Eng’g, Inc. v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 140 F.3d 1228 (9th Cir.1998). Coker Tire and Lucas Automotive sell vintage automobile tires to customers worldwide. Vintage tires are different from tires used on modern automobiles in terms of their size, dimensions, structure, design and manufacturing. Vintage tires are characterized by an appearance that is authentic to a varying degree to the tires which were originally sold on vintage, antique and collectors cars, and are available through specialty tire channels of distribution. Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of New Zealand, Inc. (“FNZ”), a subsidiary of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. (“BFI”), manufactured the Firestone vintage tires in New Zealand, and supplied them to Lucas Automotive for sale and distribution.

Prior to August 1991, Lucas Automotive and Coker Tire shared distribution rights to Firestone brand vintage tires. Coker…