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UPC CoA 61/2026

27. Apr. 2026·EP3689198 +1 more · COOKING DEVICE AND COMPONENTS THEREOF

Verfahrensdetails
Status
Case Closed
Verfahrensart
Berufung
Kategorie
Hauptberufung
Parteien
Kläger
Vertreter
Beklagte
Vertreter
Division
Court of Appeal
Technologie
  • Other fields
    Consumer products
Sprache
English
Erste Entscheidung
22. Mai 2026
Letzte Entscheidung
5. Okt. 2026
Im Vergleich
Wie lange das Gericht bis zu einer ersten Entscheidung braucht.
Median Tage bis zur ersten Entscheidung
Gesamt-UPC124
Richter Rian KaldenGesperrt
Richter Patricia RombachGesperrt
Richter Ingeborg SimonssonGesperrt
Richter Max TilmannGesperrt
Richter Marc van der BurgGesperrt

Vor dem UPC: SharkNinja Operating LLC (8 Verfahren)·Groupe SEB France (5 Verfahren)

Entscheidungen
  • 2026-10-05

    Zusammenfassung: After its final order of 21 August 2026 set the value of SharkNinja's PI appeal (EP 3 689 198, against the Paris LD order of 10 April 2026) at EUR 3.75m, the Court of Appeal granted SharkNinja's R. 371.4 RoP application and ordered reimbursement of EUR 37,900 in overpaid value-based court fees.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (1)
    • Reimbursement of overpaid value-based court fees on appeal where the value set is lower (R. 371.4 RoP)
  • 2026-08-21

    Zusammenfassung: On SharkNinja's appeal from the Paris Local Division's dismissal of its provisional-measures application concerning EP 3 689 198 (a multi-mode cooking system), the Court of Appeal found on the balance of probabilities that the patent is more likely valid than invalid over the cited prior art (Tredy, Liantek) and more likely than not infringed by SEB's 'Cookeo Infinity' cooking devices. It set aside the first-instance dismissal and itself ordered SEB to cease and desist in France and Germany from dealing in the accused products, subject to a per-product/per-day penalty payment, and awarded SharkNinja its costs at both instances relating to the patent at issue.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (7)
    • claim construction of the 'air frying mode' limitation (feature 1.2) and the 'second lid configured to couple' limitation (feature 1.4)
    • novelty of the patent at issue over prior-art utility model Tredy (CN 202312830 U) and over Liantek (WO 2015/062197)
    • infringement of claim 1 (and dependent claim 8) by the 'Cookeo Infinity' cooking system
    • necessity and urgency of provisional measures on appeal from a first-instance refusal (Art. 62(2) UPCA, R. 211 RoP)
    • balance of interests between the parties
    • admissibility of late-filed exhibits and new arguments on appeal
    • apportionment of costs where two patents were the subject of first-instance proceedings but only one is on appeal (Art. 69(2) UPCA)
  • 2026-06-10
    Appeal RoP220.1Öffentlich

    Zusammenfassung: The Court of Appeal issued an order on a confidentiality request, ruling on the treatment of confidential information in the appeal proceedings. The Court partially granted and partially refused the appellant's application for provisional measures protecting confidential information, imposing specific conditions on access to confidential submissions and requiring Bavaria (the appellant) to take appropriate measures regarding the confidential information. The order also addressed procedural steps including an opportunity for SEB (the respondents) to comment on the confidentiality arguments.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (4)
    • Confidentiality of information in Court of Appeal proceedings
    • Conditions for access to confidential submissions by opposing party representatives
    • Provisional protection of confidential information pending appeal
    • Treatment of allegedly leaked confidential information in pleadings
  • 2026-05-22
    Application RoP262AÖffentlich

    Zusammenfassung: The Court of Appeal ruled on a confidentiality request under R. 262A RoP filed by SharkNinja. The Court granted a retroactive time extension to SEB to file its signed observations by 6 May 2026, recognised the disputed market data as confidential, and restricted access to that information to four named SEB employees plus SEB's UPC representatives, with SEB given until 29 May 2026 to comment on the confidential information.

    Rechtsfragen anzeigen (4)
    • Electronic signature requirement under R. 4.1 RoP — whether CMS login/submission process satisfies the signature requirement
    • Retroactive extension of time period under R. 9.3(a) RoP
    • Confidentiality of third-party panel market data under R. 262A RoP and Art. 58 UPCA
    • Scope of confidentiality club — number of persons from respondent permitted access to confidential information
DokumenttitelDatumÖffentlich
Veröffentlichung der Anordnung2026-10-05Nicht öffentlich
Anordnung2026-10-05Nicht öffentlich
Order2026-10-05Öffentlich
Receipt2026-09-17Nicht öffentlich
Cover sheet2026-09-17Nicht öffentlich
Other document Appellant2026-09-17Nicht öffentlich
Mitteilung2026-08-24Nicht öffentlich
Mitteilung2026-08-24Nicht öffentlich
Verfahren abgeschlossen2026-08-21Nicht öffentlich
Veröffentlichung der Anordnung2026-08-21Nicht öffentlich
Angenommene Argumente
Was das Gericht akzeptiert hat — nach Partei.
  • The Paris Local Division construed the 'air frying mode' limitation (feature 1.2) too broadly; properly read, Tredy (CN 202312830 U) neither expressly nor implicitly discloses a fan, motor or circulating air, so it does not anticipate feature 1.2 and the patent is more likely than not novel over Tredy.

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 54(1) EPC
  • The 'Pressure lid' (second lid) of the accused Cookeo Infinity products is 'configured to couple' to the food container within the meaning of feature 1.4 because it is shaped to press-fit onto the food container during the conductive cooking operation, even though in use it is also secured via the first (hinged) lid.

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: claim construction / infringement of feature 1.4
  • SharkNinja and SEB are direct competitors in the multi-cooker market (the Ninja Foodi products compete with the Cookeo Infinity range), so distribution of the attacked embodiments threatens SharkNinja's market share and creates a risk of price erosion, making provisional measures necessary.

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: Art. 62(2) UPCA / R. 211.3 RoP (necessity)
  • SharkNinja did not delay unreasonably before applying for provisional measures, filing less than one month after first becoming aware of the infringing products and acting immediately to investigate them.

    KlägerRechtsgrundlage: R. 211.4 RoP / R. 209.2(b) RoP (urgency)
Zurückgewiesene Argumente
Was das Gericht nicht akzeptiert hat — und warum.
  • Expert opinions (Exhibits SEB-7.6 and SEB-7.7) show that the skilled person would recognise a fan and a motor in Tredy's Figure 2.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 54(1) EPC (novelty)
  • Other prior-art drawings (Exhibits SEB-14.1 to 14.9) show that the elements highlighted in Tredy's Figure 2 are the typical representation of an air-fryer motor and shaft, reflecting common general knowledge.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 54(1) EPC (novelty) / common general knowledge
  • The pressure generated during high-pressure cooking (equivalent to roughly 400 kg of force) shows the second lid is not actually held to the food container by any coupling means, so feature 1.4 is not realized.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: infringement of feature 1.4
  • Even if infringement and validity are found in SharkNinja's favour on the balance of probabilities, an injunction should nevertheless not follow.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: Art. 62(2) UPCA (discretion to grant provisional measures)
  • SEB's brand image and credibility with distributors, and the difficulty of relaunching the product if the injunction were later set aside, outweigh SharkNinja's interest in an injunction.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: balance of interests, Art. 62(2) UPCA
  • The Cookeo Infinity products are commercialized under the well-known Cookeo and Moulinex trademarks, which raises the market rather than harming SharkNinja, and SharkNinja did not demonstrate an actual drop in sales.

    BeklagterRechtsgrundlage: necessity / direct competition