Eaton revives suit
ArvinMeritor and ZF Friedrichshafen promised a “vigorous defence” against new efforts to halt sales of the FreedomLine automated transmission (below) made by a joint venture between the companies. In December, Eaton petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission to decide whether ArvinMeritor, ZF Friedrichshafen, and their ZF Meritor joint venture violated tariff laws by importing a product that Eaton says infringes its patents.
Eaton also asked the U.S. District Court in Detroit for an injunction prohibiting the sale of FreedomLine transmissions in the United States, whether or not imported, and also for damages based on ZF Meritor’s alleged patent infringement.
In 1997, Eaton sued Rockwell International, ArvinMeritor’s predecessor, for patent infringement related to the Engine Synchro Shift (ESS) transmission offered prior to the FreedomLine. ArvinMeritor won the case.
ZF stands by its technology, stated Wolfgang Vogel, the company’s executive vice-president of commercial vehicle driveline technology. He added that Eaton is trying to use the courts “to eliminate a viable competitor from the North American heavy-truck transmission market.”
The FreedomLine transmission automates gear shifting, using a “no clutch pedal” design. www.eaton.com; www.arvinmeritor.com
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