Jan 1, 2004 12:00 PM

ArvinMeritor Inc, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and ZF Meritor LLC have announced that they are committed to a vigorous defense against legal actions launched recently by Eaton Corp against the three companies in connection with the ZF Meritor FreedomLine automated manual heavy truck transmission.

The FreedomLine transmission features a “no-clutch pedal” design, making it easier to learn and operate than “three-pedal” automated systems. FreedomLine's design is protected by numerous patents worldwide.

Eaton has filed complaints with the United States International Trade Commission and the US District Court in Detroit MI, alleging infringement of several Eaton patents by the FreedomLine transmission.