Altadis to pursue Yamaha damages.
Altadis, the manufacturer of the Gauloises cigarette brand, has begun arbitration proceedings in an attempt to gain 'substantial compensation' from Yamaha for what it claims are damages arising from the early end to their MotoGP contract.
Altadis is accusing Yamaha of a material breach of contract after the two split acrimoniously midway through a two-year sponsorship agreement, and the motorcycle manufacturer then inked a replacement deal with rival brand Camel, owned by Japan Tobacco.
Altadis, the manufacturer of the Gauloises cigarette brand, has begun arbitration proceedings in an attempt to gain 'substantial compensation' from Yamaha for what it claims are damages arising from the early end to their MotoGP contract.
Altadis is accusing Yamaha of a material breach of contract after the two split acrimoniously midway through a two-year sponsorship agreement, and the motorcycle manufacturer then inked a replacement deal with rival brand Camel, owned by Japan Tobacco.
Altadis believes that a clause in the original contract forbade Yamaha from signing up a direct rival as its new sponsor, and the cigarette giant is now seeking both pecuniary damages and declaratory relief after maintaining that the obligation survived the termination.
Altadis has requested an urgent outcome to the matter, preferably in the shape of an order preventing Yamaha from 'collaborating' with any direct rival to its own brands in 2006, having expressed its regret that the issue could not have been solved by an out-of-court settlement.
