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UPC CFI 178/2024

Apr 15, 2024·EP2726230: METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING A MESH-TYPE SUPPORT

Case details
Status
Case Closed
Action
Infringement
Category
Main Infringement Action
Parties
Claimants
Reps: Markus Gangl (Torggler & Hofmann Patentanwälte); Florian Robl (Torggler & Hofmann Patentanwälte)
Respondents
Reps: Cristina Schiavone (Manzella & Associati); Federico Manzella (Manzella & Associati); Paolo Creta (Studio Legale Costa-Creta); Elisa Viotto (Studio Legale Costa-Creta); Francesco Ricotta (Studio Legale Costa-Creta)
Division
Milan LD
Judges
Technology
Construction · Reinforcement Mesh
Language
English
First decided
Oct 27, 2025
Claims
At issueall
Revokedall
Notes: Milan LD revoked EP2726230 (mesh production method and device) in its entirety; application to amend patent also dismissed; infringement action dismissed.
Decisions
  • 2025-10-27
    RevokedInfringement meritsInfringement Action

    The Milan Local Division revoked EP 2 726 230 B1 (mesh production method and device) in its entirety following the defendants' counterclaim, dismissed the application to amend the patent, and dismissed the infringement action; claimant Progress Maschinen bore the majority of costs.

    Legal issues:Novelty attack based on prior useInventive step - technical problem formulationAdmissibility of R. 30.2 RoP patent amendment requestAdded matter
  • 2025-10-27
    Infringement Action

    The Milan Local Division issued a rectification order under R. 353 RoP correcting an inaccuracy in the header of its 27 October 2025 decision by adding the full list of defendants' legal representatives (Studio Legale Costa-Creta).

    Legal issues:R. 353 RoP rectification of clerical error in decisionCorrection of list of parties' representatives
Documents
Document titleDatePublic
action.phaseChange.caseClose2025-11-25Not public
Order2025-11-19Public
action.issueOrder.order2025-11-12Not public
Order2025-11-12Not public
Cover sheet2025-11-03Not public
Other document Claimant2025-11-03Not public
Receipt2025-11-03Not public
action.issueOrder.order2025-10-28Not public
Order2025-10-28Not public
Cover sheet2025-10-28Not public
Application2025-10-28Not public
Receipt2025-10-28Not public
action.issueDecision.decision2025-10-27Not public
Decision2025-10-27Public
Cover sheet2025-09-25Not public
Other document2025-09-25Not public
Other document2025-09-25Not public
Receipt2025-09-25Not public
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20004-2024_OH_MIL-LOC_UPC202509161000AM_S012025-09-16Not public
20004-2024_OH_MIL-LOC_UPC20250916230PM_S022025-09-16Not public
20004-2024_OH_MIL-LOC_UPC20250916230PM_S022025-09-16Not public
20004-2024_OH_MIL-LOC_UPC202509161000AM_S012025-09-16Not public
Receipt2025-07-23Not public
INDEX OF ENCLOSURES BY DEFENDANTS2025-07-23Not public
FINAL BRIEF2025-07-23Not public
Receipt2025-07-23Not public
Final Brief2025-07-23Not public
Outcome of the Order2025-07-08Not public
order 1042025-07-08Public
Outcome of the Order2025-07-08Not public
order 1042025-07-08Public
Receipt2025-07-03Not public
response to order2025-07-02Not public
Receipt2025-07-02Not public
Reaction to the order following the interim conference2025-07-02Not public
Interim-Procedure-Closure2025-06-17Not public
Summon-Oral-Hearing2025-06-17Not public
order rule 105 rop2025-06-17Public
Hearing-Dates2025-06-17Not public
order rule 105 rop2025-06-17Public
20004-2024_IC_MIL-LOC_UPC202506051100AM_S012025-06-06Not public
20004-2024_IC_MIL-LOC_UPC202506051100AM_S012025-06-06Not public
20004-2024_IC_MIL-LOC_UPC202506051100AM_S022025-06-06Not public
20004-2024_IC_MIL-LOC_UPC202506051100AM_S022025-06-06Not public
Fix-Interim-Conference-Date2025-06-06Not public
response to order2025-05-23Not public
response to order2025-05-23Not public
Schedule of Services2025-05-23Not public
Reaction to Court Order (cost estimate)2025-05-23Not public
order rule 35 rop2025-05-13Public
Interim-Conference-Decision2025-05-13Not public
Written-Procedure-Closure2025-05-13Not public
Hearing-Dates2025-02-26Not public
hearing final schedule2025-02-26Public
comments2025-02-24Not public
comments2025-02-24Not public
Zustimmung Verhandlungsdaten2025-02-21Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-02-20Not public
Enclosure 502025-02-20Not public
Rejoinder Reply Defence2025-02-20Not public
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Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-02-20Not public
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Rejoinder Reply Defence2025-02-20Not public
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hearing schedule2025-02-20Not public
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Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-12-20Not public
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expert report Schnell2024-12-20Not public
catalogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
Bailiff report Schnell2024-12-20Not public
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First auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
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User Manual secret2024-12-20Not public
Maintenance Manual (secret)2024-12-20Not public
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Reply2024-12-20Not public
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Description of physically provided evidence2024-12-20Not public
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catalogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
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catalogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
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drawings2024-12-20Not public
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Fourth auxiliary request German marked2024-12-20Not public
User Manual secret2024-12-20Not public
Fifth auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
First auxiliary request English2024-12-20Not public
Expert report AWM2024-12-20Not public
Fourth auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
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Description of physically provided evidence2024-12-20Not public
Minutes access records2024-12-20Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-12-20Not public
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Third auxiliary request English2024-12-20Not public
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First auxiliary request German marked2024-12-20Not public
User Manual secret2024-12-20Not public
List of further evidence Ua-Un2024-12-20Not public
User Manual secret2024-12-20Not public
Expert report Schnell2024-12-20Not public
Maintenance Manual (secret)2024-12-20Not public
Expert report AWM2024-12-20Not public
catalogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
picture2024-12-20Not public
Bailiff report Schnell2024-12-20Not public
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Fifth auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
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Reply2024-12-20Not public
Minutes access records2024-12-20Not public
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catlogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
Bailiff report AWM2024-12-20Not public
Maintenance Manual (secret)2024-12-20Not public
catalogue multi-lingual2024-12-20Not public
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Description of physically provided evidence2024-12-20Not public
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Third auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
Second auxiliary request English2024-12-20Not public
Fourth auxiliary request German2024-12-20Not public
Outcome of the Order2024-12-02Not public
deadline extension Rule 29(a) RoP2024-12-02Public
Receipt2024-12-02Not public
Opposition to CLaimant's request for extension2024-11-29Not public
Receipt2024-11-29Not public
Request for Extension of Time Period2024-11-29Not public
Panel-Appointment2024-11-19Not public
order 9 expert - attachment2024-10-11Not public
order 9 experts2024-10-11Public
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Confirmation2024-10-08Not public
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comments on progress applications2024-08-29Not public
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invite to comment2024-08-06Not public
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Coverage: Partial.Reasoning extracted with partial coverage — some sections may be incomplete.
Plain-English summary

Progress Maschinen & Automation AG sued AWM s.r.l. and Schnell s.p.a. for infringement of EP 2 726 230 B1, a patent for a method and device for continuously producing a mesh-type support for construction reinforcement. The Milan Local Division found the patent invalid for lack of novelty (the claimed invention being directly and unambiguously disclosed in prior art including prior use), dismissed the application to amend the patent, and consequently dismissed the infringement action; costs were borne by Progress as the unsuccessful claimant.

Accepted arguments
What the court agreed with — by party.

  • EP 2 726 230 B1 lacks novelty over prior art made available to the public by use

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 54 EPC

    Note: The Milan Local Division revoked the patent in its entirety on novelty grounds, applying the principle that an invention is part of the state of the art when disclosed integrally, directly, and unambiguously in a single piece of prior art including prior use.

  • Technical problem for inventive step cannot use effects requiring additional information not available to the skilled person from the patent application

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 56 EPC

    Note: Court articulated this as a headnote principle in assessing the obviousness of the mesh-production method claims.

Rejected arguments
What the court did not agree with — and why.

  • Application to amend the patent (auxiliary requests) should be admitted

    ClaimantLegal basis: R. 30.2 RoP

    Reason: The application to amend the patent was dismissed; the court applied the requirements of R. 30.2 RoP for admissibility of amendment requests and found them not met.

  • Infringement action for EP 2 726 230 B1

    Claimant

    Reason: Dismissed as a consequence of the patent being revoked in its entirety.

Key legal principles
Doctrines and rules cited in the reasoning.
Novelty: an invention is part of the state of the art when disclosed completely and unambiguously in a single prior art document or prior useInventive step: objective technical problem must be derived from effects causally related to claimed technical features; effects requiring additional information not in the application cannot define the problemAmendment during proceedings subject to admissibility requirements (R. 30.2 RoP)Revocation defeats infringement action

Browse other cases on this principle.

Prior art relied on
References cited and the role they played.
  • Prior use (Girderflex machine) at EUR 2,000,000 price pointNovelty-destroying