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UPC CFI 201/2024

3. Mai 2024·EP2152073 · HERBICIDE COMPOSITIONS

Hauptaktenzeichen: ACT 23636/2024

Verfahrensdetails
Status
Case Closed
Verfahrensart
Einstweilige Verfügung
Kategorie
Einstweilige Maßnahmen
Parteien
Kläger
Vertreter
Beklagte
Vertreter
Division
Munich LD
Technologie
  • Chemistry
    Basic materials chemistry
Sprache
English
Erste Entscheidung
16. Juni 2024
Letzte Entscheidung
11. März 2025
Im Vergleich
Die Bilanz des Gerichts für diese Art von Verfahren, gezählt in erstinstanzlichen Entscheidungen. Eine Zahl in Klammern gibt an, auf wie vielen Entscheidungen eine Quote beruht.
Einstweilige Verfügung erlassenMedian Tage bis zur ersten Entscheidung
Gesamt-UPC54% (38/70)124
Munich LDGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Matthias ZigannGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Walter SchoberGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Tobias PichlmaierGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Xavier Dorland-GalliotGesperrtGesperrt

Vor dem UPC: Syngenta Limited (9 Verfahren)·Sumi Agro Limited (8 Verfahren)

Entscheidungen
  • 2025-03-11

    Zusammenfassung: Order from Munich Local Division dated 11 March 2025 on procedural matters arising from a preliminary injunction dispute between Syngenta and Sumi Agro. The panel upheld the judge-rapporteur's earlier order dismissing Sumi Agro's application to revoke provisional measures (which had been granted on 27 August 2024). The panel held that Syngenta had filed and paid court fees for the main proceedings in time to satisfy R. 213(1) and R. 15(2) RoP, confirming that payment does not require receipt by the court before the deadline, only that the fee was paid. Syngenta's application for re-establishment of rights was also dismissed as unfounded. Leave to appeal was granted given the fundamental interpretive issues involved.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (4)
    • Timeliness of filing and court fee payment under R. 15(2) and R. 213(1) RoP
    • Revocation of provisional measures under R. 213 RoP
    • Re-establishment of rights
    • Interpretation of 'start proceedings'
  • 2024-12-12

    Zusammenfassung: Munich Local Division (12 December 2024) dismissed Sumi Agro's application to revoke a preliminary measures order, holding that Syngenta Limited had validly commenced main proceedings by uploading the statement of claim to the CMS within the applicable time limit, as the filing date under R. 15.2 RoP is the date the court fee is received.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (4)
    • Revocation of provisional measures order (R. 213 RoP)
    • Time limit for commencing main proceedings
    • Date of filing statement of claim (R. 15.2 RoP)
    • Court fee payment
  • 2024-08-27
    Application for provisional measuresÖffentlich

    Zusammenfassung: Munich Local Division granted a preliminary injunction (inter partes) against respondents ordering them to cease and desist from manufacturing, offering, placing on the market, using, exporting or possessing a herbicide composition (Kagura) infringing a patent with claims directed to a composition, across multiple UPC contracting states. The court held that for a product composition claim the applicant need only allege and prove the composition had all features of the claim; it is not required to explain why the composition had those features. Distributing infringing products outside contracting states while advertising under the same name inside creates a risk of first infringement. An actus contrarius is insufficient to eliminate such risk; a cease-and-desist declaration with penalty clause is required. Respondents may revoke the injunction if applicant does not commence main proceedings within 31 calendar days.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (6)
    • Provisional measures (Art. 62 UPCA, R. 206 RoP)
    • Product composition claim - burden of proof
    • Risk of first infringement
    • Cease-and-desist declaration requirement
    • Validity assessment in PI proceedings (best 3 arguments rule)
    • Temporal urgency (2 months rule - Munich LD)
  • 2024-06-16

    Zusammenfassung: The Munich Local Division granted a confidentiality protection order under Rule 262A RoP for documents in provisional measures proceedings, covering information in Confidential Exhibits SA-1 and SA-9 submitted by the defendants (Sumi Agro). The claimant (Syngenta) did not formally object. The order was issued in a new workflow due to a CMS malfunction in the original application.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (2)
    • Confidentiality protection under Rule 262A RoP
    • CMS technical malfunction and alternative workflow
DokumenttitelDatumÖffentlich
Receipt2025-07-24Nicht öffentlich
Bundle of Exhibits FF CD142025-07-23Nicht öffentlich
Exhibit FF CD152025-07-23Nicht öffentlich
Exhibit FF CD132025-07-23Nicht öffentlich
Amendment to Application2025-07-23Nicht öffentlich
Headnote-and-Keywords2025-03-13Nicht öffentlich
Outcome of the Order2025-03-13Nicht öffentlich
R 333 final2025-03-13Öffentlich
Outcome of the Order2025-03-13Nicht öffentlich
R 333 final2025-03-13Öffentlich
Zusammenfassung in einfacher Sprache

An unnamed applicant (proprietor of a herbicide composition patent) obtained a preliminary injunction from the Munich Local Division against respondents manufacturing and distributing the 'Kagura' herbicide product, covering multiple UPC contracting states. The court established key procedural principles: that product composition claims require proof only that the composition has all claim features (not why), that cross-border distribution combined with domestic advertising creates risk of first infringement, and that only a cease-and-desist declaration with a penalty clause (not an actus contrarius) sufficiently eliminates infringement risk. The Munich Local Division maintained its two-month temporal urgency window, diverging from Düsseldorf's one-month approach.

Angenommene Argumente
Was das Gericht akzeptiert hat — nach Partei.
  • For a product composition claim, it is sufficient to allege and prove the composition had all features of the claim; applicant need not explain why the composition had those features

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 25 UPCA

    Hinweis: The Munich Local Division held that the burden of pleading and proof for a product composition claim requires only demonstrating the composition's features, not explaining the mechanism or reason those features are present.

  • Distributing infringing composition outside contracting states while advertising under the same name within contracting states creates risk of first infringement within contracting states

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 62(1) UPCA

    Hinweis: The court found that cross-border distribution and advertising under the same product name creates a legally cognisable risk of first infringement in contracting states where the patent is valid.

  • Cease-and-desist declaration without penalty clause is insufficient to eliminate risk of first infringement; actus contrarius not sufficient

    Kläger

    Hinweis: The court held that only a cease-and-desist declaration with a penalty clause adequately eliminates risk of first infringement; an actus contrarius alone is insufficient.

  • Temporal urgency of two months applies (Munich Local Division practice)

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: R. 211.4 RoP

    Hinweis: The Munich Local Division adhered to its two-month urgency window, diverging from the Düsseldorf Local Division's one-month approach, citing diverging case law.

Zurückgewiesene Argumente
Was das Gericht nicht akzeptiert hat — und warum.
  • Application for seizure of goods should be maintained in full

    Kläger

    Begründung: The applicant partially withdrew the seizure application; the remaining injunction application was successful.

Hinweise zur Anspruchsauslegung

The patent claim was directed to a herbicidal composition comprising at least one sulfonylurea herbicide, at least one HPPD-inhibiting herbicide, and at least one saturated or unsaturated fatty acid from 1% to 95% by weight. The claim construction issue was primarily about what the applicant must prove for a composition claim (that the composition has all claimed features), not what mechanism produced those features.