Harsh to sue in tip patent row
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Underikor tipping gear specialist Harsh International is suing Bradford-based Drum for allegedly infringing its design patent.
This follows Drum's UK launch of a product from the US where such tipping gears have been popular for many years, says Harsh.
Drum managing director Ben Martin says the company will fight the action: "We contest that any infringement of any patent exists."
Harsh International pioneered the underfloor tipping design, says Grant Faulkner, managing director of Harsh, based at Full Sutton near York. "We are taking this action to protect ourselves from other tipping gear manufacturers who might wish to copy our products," he says.
The US parent company licensed its technology to other companies for the American market, but Faulkner says: "We're not going to license out the design in the UK."