Tire side wall cracks?

I have a question for any tire experts out there. I put a new set a Michelin tires on my excursion last June. I have only put about 5000 miles on them since I have had them. I noticed cracks around the bead this spring. I called Michelin to complain and the lady told me that cracks are not covered under warranty. She said I could file a claim and they would try to gets some assistance on a new set of tires. I just spent $2000 on tires last year and there is no way in heck I'm spending any money on another set of tires. My question is are these cracks normal? They don't look that deep but I always thought any cracks where bad. I have been a mechanic for 16 years but I never paid that much attention to the side wall of the tires over the years.