Case Reports

UPC Case Reports

Scripps mRNA reengineering patent found invalid and not infringed by Comirnaty
08 September 2026
The Local Division Munich invalidated Promosome's licensed mRNA patent over Scripps' codon-optimisation method, then found BioNTech's Comirnaty vaccine would not have infringed the claims even had they been valid.
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UPC
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Infringement
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Novelty
Fujifilm v Kodak: clarifying the defence of dependent claims and inventive-step combinations at the UPC
27 August 2026
The Court of Appeal gave guidance on defending dependent claims, relying on EPO central limitation during UPC proceedings, and pleading revocation attacks. It also emphasised that inventive-step combinations require a proper pointer to the secondary reference.
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UPC
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Appeal
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EPO
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Inventive step
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Revocation
Orders to Produce Evidence at the UPC
19 August 2026
GC Aesthetics, Avient, IQIP and Dall Energy: four 2026 UPC rulings reveal how courts weigh proportionality, confidentiality and timing before ordering a party to produce evidence under Rule 190.
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UPC
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Disclosure
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Evidence (general)
Replacement parts and the value of asserting a narrower claim combination
17 July 2026
The UPC's Düsseldorf Local Division found that Wessper's cartridges indirectly infringed Brita's patent, and that a narrower claim combination can turn a consumable into an essential element.
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UPC
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Infringement
Late Applications for Provisional Measures Refused for Lack of Urgency
14 July 2026
In Ericsson v ASUSTeK, the Milan Local Division refused a provisional measures application filed 21 months into the case, finding continuing infringement and rising losses alone do not establish urgency.
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UPC
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Provisional injunction
UPC revokes provisional injunction on motorbike helmet intercoms system
29 June 2026
The UPC Local Division Milan revoked Cardo's provisional injunction against Reso, ruling its helmet intercom products fall outside the scope of EP4240194, neither literally nor by equivalence.
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UPC
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Infringement
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Provisional injunction
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Doctrine of Equivalents
Preliminary objection on jurisdiction partially successful – UPC clarifies requirements of anchor-defendant jurisdiction for non-UPC territories
25 June 2026
The Hamburg Local Division let Nixu pursue US-based Infoblox in the UPC for Germany, France and Finland, but threw out the UK claim. To reach a non-UPC territory through an anchor defendant, a claimant must plead joint infringement there.
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UPC
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Preliminary objection
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Jurisdiction
UPC applies party-driven equivalence test in absence of Court of Appeal guidance
25 June 2026
The Helsinki Local Division found AIM's TV-advertising patent valid but not infringed by TGI, and with no Court of Appeal ruling on equivalence yet, adopted the four-step test both sides put forward, the UPC following the parties' lead.
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UPC
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Revocation
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Doctrine of Equivalents
Prosecution history in claim interpretation at the EPO
10 June 2026
In Agathon v Intercom, the UPC's Milan Local Division confirmed that statements made during EPO prosecution are not binding but can offer low-weight guidance on the skilled person's view — here narrowing 'abuts' against the patentee.
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UPC
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Claim interpretation
Revocation of an order to inspect and preserve evidence as Applicant did not start proceedings on the merits, R. 198.1 RoP
09 June 2026
In Otec v Steros, the UPC's Dusseldorf Local Division revoked an ex parte inspection order after the applicant failed to sue on the merits in time, ordering all preserved evidence returned and destroyed.
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UPC
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Preservation of evidence
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Revocation
UPC Court of Appeal reverses infringement ruling in both Germany and UK
05 June 2026
On 2 June 2026 the UPC Court of Appeal overturned the Mannheim Local Division's infringement findings against Kodak in both Germany and the UK, on a prior user right in Germany, and on lack of defendant liability in the UK, while upholding the validity of EP 3511174 as amended and laying down a structured framework for exercising jurisdiction over non-EU designations.
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UPC
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Appeal
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Jurisdiction
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Infringement
UPC finds infringement of two motorcycle tyres patents following international exhibition
05 June 2026
These Decisions from the Local Division of the Unified Patent Court in Milan relate to EP2519412 and EP3519207. The Applicant, Pirelli Tyre S.P.A. ("Pirelli") brought two separate infringement actions following respective seizure orders against Tianjin Kingtyre Group Co., Ltd ("Kingtyre") and Sichuan Yuanxing Rubber Co., Ltd. ("SYR"), in view of the exhibition of allegedly infringing products by the defendants at the "International Motorcycle Exhibition" ("EICMA") between 5 and 10 November 2024.
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UPC
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Infringement
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Revocation
Closest Prior Art Not Quite Close Enough
29 May 2026
WIRPLAST v VILPE (UPC Munich, April 2026): a roof-fan disclosure was a fair starting point, but the patent for a through-roof ventilation pipe with a spirit level survived; the skilled person would not have leaped.
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UPC
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Inventive step
Transfer of costs application from Court of Appeal to Court of First Instance rejected
22 April 2026
The UPC Court of Appeal ruled that it lacks jurisdiction to assess costs applications and confirmed they must be filed at the Court of First Instance, rejecting a transfer request in Rematec v Europe Forestry.
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UPC
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Costs
Revocation of an independent claim does not automatically affect the validity of unchallenged dependent claims
21 April 2026
In Emporia v Seoul Viosys, the UPC Central Division confirmed that the revocation of an independent claim does not automatically affect the validity of unchallenged claims. The decision underscores the importance of challenging all relevant claims where full patent revocation is sought.
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Revocation
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Added subject matter
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Amendments
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UPC

Other Case Reports

Prevayl v Whoop [2025] EWHC 399 (IPEC)
26 March 2025
His Honour Judge Hacon has found that Prevayl's patent for a smart bra was invalid for obviousness over two pieces of prior art. However, had the patent been valid, Whoop would be indirectly...
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Litigation
T 0458/22 – EPO Board of Appeal considers Rolex’s inadmissibility attack to be inadmissible!
26 February 2025
In T 0458/22 (which has a "B" distribution code indicating it is significant enough to be distributed to all Members of the EPO's Technical Boards of Appeal), the Board of Appeal appears to have gone...
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EPO
Extension of time period for filing defence in view of parallel EPO appeal proceedings
30 January 2025
Dainese S.p.A. v. Alpinestars S.p.A., Alpinestars Research S.p.A., Omnia Retail S.r.l., Horizon Moto 95 – Maxxess Cergy, Zund.Stoff Augsburg/Ulrich Herpich E.K., Motocard Bike S.I.
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Uniphy
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EPO
Incomplete secondary evidence pleaded late in proceedings has no chance against prima facie obviousness in High Court decision
25 November 2024
A 163-page judgment for Pfizer Limited v. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. & Anor [2024] EWHC 2523 was handed down on 7 October 2024 by Mr Justice Mellor.
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Litigation
Munich Local Division issues the first decision by default in an infringement proceeding as Defendant does not respond to Statement of Claim
14 October 2024
i-mop GmbH v ARCORA International GmbH (UPC_CFI_193/2024) Order dated 11 October 2024 (ORD_47439/2024) concerning EP 3 760 094 B1 The patent in suit EP 3 760 094 B1 relates to a floor cleaning device.
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Recent cases
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Infringement
T 1741/22 - no credible technical effect produced by deriving additional data from medical measurements
19 September 2024
An interesting "B" decision from Board 3.5.05 was published yesterday relating to the generation of new data from medical measurements being relied on for a technical effect.
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EPO
A Late Challenge: PI refused for alleged VAR infringement
10 September 2024
Ballinno B.V. v UEFA, Kinexon GmbH and Kinexon Sports & Media GmbH UPC_CFI_151/2024 Order of 3 June 2024 ORD_39782/2024[1] Whilst thoughts of Euro '24 may be starting to slip into the past...
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Recent cases
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Infringement
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Provisional injunction
No Country for New Laws
22 July 2024
Trailblazing developments in Artificial Intelligence have left a litany of complex legal cases in their wake, and judges are tasked with deciding how old law should be interpreted against the...
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Codiphy
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Digital
€325 million Funding for Semiconductor Research and Innovation in the UK and the EU
09 July 2024
Europe's Chips Joint Undertaking has bolstered its support for the semiconductor industry by announcing three funding calls with a combined value of up to €325M.
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Ampliphy
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Digital
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Patenting
An Ocean Apart – Differences in US and EPO claim interpretation
04 June 2024
Recent cases from the US Federal Circuit and the EPO Boards of Appeal highlight how the two jurisdictions have reached strict, and completely opposite, approaches to interpreting claims in light of...
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Court of Appeal affirms death of Bayer’s blood clotting patent in expedited hearing
03 June 2024
The Court of Appeal announced at the conclusion of the hearing, on 16 May 2024, that Bayer's appeal in the rivaroxaban litigation against a finding of invalidity following challenges by a number of...
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Litigation
T 0192/22 - Is a first medical use claim a magic bullet?
31 May 2024
The EIP team was pleased to receive the BoA Decision on T 0197/22 earlier this month, providing the reasons for revocation of Translate Bio's EP 3318248 B1 at the oral proceedings held in March,...
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Oppositions
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Life
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Patenting
T 1762/21 – The EPO Board of Appeal Clarifies the Term “Inextricably Linked” When Assessing an Intermediate Generalisation
24 May 2024
A recent decision from a Technical Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office provides clarity as to how "intermediate generalisations" are assessed for added matter.
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EPO
Updated EPO Guidelines on AI – why US companies should encourage close collaboration between their US and European attorneys on AI patent applications
20 May 2024
On 1 March 2024, the European Patent Office (EPO) updated its Guidelines for Examination regarding AI inventions. This included new wording relating to the sufficient disclosure of training data.
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Codiphy
Court of Appeal takes AIM at attempts to show knock-on effect of pragmatic case management
15 May 2024
Supponor Ltd v AIM Sport Development AG [2024] EWCA Civ 396 In a judgment handed down on 23 April 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Supponor's appeal against the decision of Meade J in the High...
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Litigation
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