Patent infringement litigation

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Manitou BF informs that on February 26, 2021, the Paris Court of Justice (“Tribunal Judiciaire”) ruled in the first instance on the litigation for infringement of the French part of two European patents relating to certain features concerning the control system of the overload cut-off of certain telescopic forklift trucks, initiated in May 2017 by J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB) against Manitou BF.

Under the terms of this decision, the Court has invalidated in its entirety the French part of one of the two patents held by JCB.
The Tribunal has also invalidated most of the claims of the French part of the second patent held by JCB.

The Court found that only two claims of the French part of the second patent were infringed by three models of equipment from an old configuration which is no longer marketed by Manitou BF since May 2017. Manitou challenges this decision while noting that it has no impact on its business as this old configuration is no longer marketed.

Given the very residual character of the infringement uphold, the Court ordered Manitou BF to pay the plaintiff the total sum of 150,000 Euros for the loss suffered, rejecting the claim of JCB, which was claiming a loss of 190 million Euros.

The Court’s decision reinforces the position of Manitou, which has always contested the merits of the plaintiff’s action and the disproportionate nature of its claims. The group will continue to firmly defend itself against infringement allegations of three patents claimed by JCB.