Antonov PLC has announced that Toyota has challenged the validity of an Antonov patent in Japan.
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The Japanese automaker’s move is a counter to Antonov’s claim, made in the patent court in Duesseldorf in April 2005, that the driveline of Toyota’s Prius and Lexus RX400h is an infringement of an Antonov patent.
The patent in question is European patent number 0414782. Its Japanese counterpart is JP 2894760.
According to Antonov, it covers the use of a drive train, which balances the drive from an engine and an electric motor with the load from a vehicle and a generator.
Antonov has previously rejected what it described as an ‘unrealistically low offer’ from Toyota to settle. It has pursued the action through the German courts and a judgement is expected in August this year.
Antonov believes that Toyota’s action in Japan indicates its apparent lack of confidence with regards to winning the German court judgement. As a result, Toyota is attempting to force Antonov to incur significant costs via the courts in Japan even though the patent system there is equivalent to that in Europe.
