The row over Ricky Ponting's bat is unlikely to go any further, but it has ensured a nice little earner for the bat maker.
The Kookaburra brand bat which is strengthened by a woven graphite backing has sold out in the UK, and is expected to be snapped up when it goes on sale in Australia in July.
The top-of-the-range model, called the Ricky Ponting Kahuna, will cost about $550 or $600, said Kookaburra managing director Rob Elliott.
The bat, which also carries a bright fluoro sticker, was referred late last year to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), keeper of the game's laws.
According to Cricket Australia, there is no indication that it is outside the laws of cricket, and it is expected Ponting will continue to use the bat during the forthcoming Ashes series.
Kookaburra, which initially submitted the bat for ICC approval, insists both the sticker and the graphite backing are completely legal.
"It's an interwoven fabric of carbon and graphite which we've adhered to the back of the bat to strengthen and protect the blade," Elliott said.
"It complies with the laws of cricket. They are very clear in stating what you can and can't do.
"There's no law in relation to colour. We're allowed to protect and reinforce the blade with a material which is not more than 1.56mm thick, and that's what we've done.
"Wood is a natural material and if you can reinforce and strengthen it that's going to make it last longer.
"Over the years bat makers have put materials like pigskin, PVC film, poly armour and nylon fabrics on the face of the bat.
"We've come from another approach. We decided we'd use a sophisticated material which is bonded to the back of the bat. Graphite is black, so we can't put it on the front."
Elliott says the material weighs only a few grams, negligible in the overall weight of the bat. Ponting uses a medium weight bat of about 2lb 10oz (1.2kg)
There are echoes of 1979, when Dennis Lillee used an aluminium bat he was trying to market in a Test against England in Perth.
The umpires made him change the bat following a protest by England skipper Mike Brearley and the laws of the game were subsequently amended to ensure bats were made of wood.
Elliott is bemused by the current row.
"It's a bit out of control, but it's good publicity," he said.