Eaton Wins Injunction Against ArvinMeritor

Delaware United States District Court Chief Judge Joseph Farnan handed down a permanent injunction in favor of Eaton Corp in its patent infringement lawsuit against ArvinMeritor Inc.

The injunction prohibits further manufacture or sale of any ArvinMeritor truck transmissions that incorporate the ESS shift automation system and any colorable variations thereof. The court has yet to rule on the amount of damages due Eaton.

In its lawsuit, Eaton contended that the Rockwell ESS transmission — manufactured and sold first by Rockwell, and then by Meritor and ArvinMeritor — infringed an Eaton patent that covers a specific clutchless shifting system used in its current Eaton Fuller AutoShift transmissions, as well as other partially and fully automated transmissions in its product line. The system allows shifting of heavy-duty truck transmissions without requiring use of the vehicle's master clutch. A jury verdict in favor of Eaton was entered July 1, 1998, finding that Rockwell and Meritor “willfully infringed” upon Eaton's technology.