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UPC CFI 280/2025

8. Apr. 2025·EP2649380 · ACCESSORY FOR AN EXHAUST VENTILATION PIPE

Verfahrensdetails
Status
Case Closed (Patent wie erteilt aufrechterhalten)
Verfahrensart
Nichtigkeit
Kategorie
Hauptnichtigkeitsklage
Parteien
Kläger
Vertreter
Beklagte
Vertreter
Division
Munich CD
Technologie
  • Mechanical engineering
    Thermal processes and apparatus
Sprache
English
Erste Entscheidung
10. Okt. 2025
Letzte Entscheidung
8. Apr. 2026
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.
Patent nichtigMedian Tage bis zur ersten Entscheidung
Gesamt-UPC37% (34/91)124
Munich CDGesperrtGesperrt
Richter András KupeczGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Daniel SeverinssonGesperrtGesperrt
Richter Merja Heikkinen-KeinänenGesperrtGesperrt

Vor dem UPC: WIRPLAST – Więcek Spółka Jawna (1 Verfahren)·VILPE OY (1 Verfahren)

Entscheidungen
  • 2026-04-08
    Revocation ActionÖffentlich

    Zusammenfassung: The revocation action brought by WIRPLAST against EP 2 649 380 B1 (exhaust ventilation pipe with integrated circular spirit level) was dismissed. The Central Division (Section Munich) found that the patent's claimed subject-matter involves an inventive step over prior art documents D1–D4, as the claimant failed to establish that the skilled person would have been motivated to modify the roof fan of D1 to arrive at the claimed invention. The patent is maintained as granted and the claimant must pay 75,000 EUR in costs to the defendant.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (5)
    • inventive step (Art. 56 EPC)
    • claim interpretation / physical and spatial configuration of feature F4
    • front-loaded procedural system and admissibility of untranslated prior art
    • burden of proof and substantiation in revocation proceedings
    • motivation for skilled person to combine prior art documents
  • 2025-10-10
    Revocation ActionÖffentlich

    Zusammenfassung: The Central Division Munich (judge-rapporteur Kupecz) issued an order following the interim conference in the Wirplast v Vilpe revocation action concerning EP 2 649 380, permitting the defendant to re-order its auxiliary requests and setting procedural deadlines.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (2)
    • Interim conference (R. 105.5 RoP)
    • Re-ordering of auxiliary requests
DokumenttitelDatumÖffentlich
Service Receipt/Service Document2026-09-08Nicht öffentlich
Other Documents2026-08-25Nicht öffentlich
Other Documents2026-08-14Nicht öffentlich
Other Documents2026-08-14Nicht öffentlich
Note2026-08-14Nicht öffentlich
Receipt2026-08-10Nicht öffentlich
Cover sheet2026-08-10Nicht öffentlich
Document Defendant2026-08-10Nicht öffentlich
Decision2026-04-08Öffentlich
Verfahren abgeschlossen2026-04-08Nicht öffentlich
Angenommene Argumente
Was das Gericht akzeptiert hat — nach Partei.
  • D1 relates to a different kind of ventilation device (roof fan mounted in abutment with base plate) than the claimed exhaust ventilation pipe extending through the roof; the underlying problems are different, so the skilled person has no motivation to modify D1 for easy vertical installation

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC; UPC inventive step framework (UPC_CoA_528/2024, UPC_CoA_764/2024)
  • Feature F4 ('extending through an outer roof of a building') is not disclosed in D1 and defines a physically and spatially limiting requirement for the claimed device

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 69 EPC; claim interpretation principles (UPC_CoA_335/2023)
  • Combining D1 with D4 would not lead to the claimed subject-matter because D4 discloses a passive roof air convector with no exhaust pipe extending through the roof, and the teachings of D1 and D4 are incompatible

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC
  • The claimant failed to substantiate why the skilled person would add a circular spirit level to D1 or integrate it on the conical cup; the base plate of D1 renders any spirit level unnecessary

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Rules 44(e)-(g), 25.1(b)-(d) RoP; Art. 54 and 65(1) UPCA
Zurückgewiesene Argumente
Was das Gericht nicht akzeptiert hat — und warum.
  • Feature F4 is implicitly disclosed in D1 or at least D1 is suitable to extend through an outer roof, rendering it non-limiting

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC
  • The invention is obvious over D1 combined with common general knowledge because rooftop installers are constantly motivated to ensure vertical mounting and circular spirit levels were known for at least 70 years

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC
  • D4 discloses a circular spirit level integrated on top of a cup, making the combination of D1 and D4 obvious

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC
  • D2 discloses a level used to confirm horizontal state of an air conditioning apparatus, and the skilled person would combine D1 with D2

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC
  • D3 discloses a level indicator on a roof ventilator, making the combination of D1 and D3 obvious

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 56 EPC