TELEHANDLER manufacturer Manitou BF has responded to last week's statement from JCB regarding the legal technology copyright row ongoing between the two companies.

JCB announced that it had been granted a preliminary injunction by a French court against Manitou, requiring its rival company to stop producing telehandlers featuring an automatic hydraulic lock-out feature that activates while the machine is moving, disengaging instability sensors that are only relevant when the machine is lifting.

At that time, JCB chief executive Graeme Macdonald said: “We invest many millions of pounds in developing and patenting innovative and sophisticated engineering solutions which benefit our customers all over the world. We will not tolerate any copying or infringement of our intellectual property rights wherever in the world they occur.”

However, Manitou BF spoke up this week to make the following 'corrections and clarifications'.

"Firstly, the judge dismissed JCB's application for interim injunctive relief on the first patent," said Manitou. "The decision of the court relating to the second patent, to which JCB’s press release refers, has ​no impact on the business of Manitou BF, its dealers or equipment users​.

"Indeed, this preliminary decision applies to control systems (LLMC) incorporated in certain models produced and sold before August 2017. These models were discontinued in August 2017 and are no longer produced by Manitou BF, a fact that was acknowledged by the decision, which does not constitute a definitive first instance judgment and is wholly preliminary in nature. It therefore does not in any way prejudge the final outcome of the proceedings on the merits."

Manitou BF confirmed it had now appealed the preliminary injunction order to which JCB’s press release refers.