Safe-Run 'acted first' in patent dispute with VMI

London – Chinese tire machinery manufacturer Safe-Run has stated that it is the first and only party to have taken legal action in a patent-infringement dispute with Dutch competitor VMI.

In a statement to ERJ, Safe-Run said it had “acted to sue VMI to the Court of Suzhou in April and Court of Shanghai in July 2016 respectively. So Safe-Run is the first one taking legal steps, and up to now Safe-Run has not received any lawsuits from VMI.”

Safe-Run said its legal actions followed a top-level meeting with VMI at which the Dutch company's managers raised the issue of patent infringement - but without offering "any legally admissible evidence".

On 12 Sept, Epe-based VMI announced that it was taking “legal steps” against alleged patent-infringement activity by Safe-Run.

“Despite repeated warnings, Safe-Run did not stop the infringement on several of VMI’s patents,” said the VMI press release.

In an undated statement – received by ERJ editorial team just after that VMI announcement – Safe-Run Group said it had filed a lawsuit “to confirm the non-infringement” of VMI patents.

“VMI cannot claim infringement on its patent rights by Safe-Run Group without any factual or legal proof,” said Safe-Run.

The Chinese group added that it was and had always been focused on developing its own innovative technologies, and had been granted many national-level patents.