UPC CFI 1927/2025
Dec 10, 2025·EP3001984: METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ORTHOPAEDIC JOINT
- Case details
- StatusWritten PhaseActionProvisional measuresCategoryProvisional Measures
- Parties
- ClaimantsReps: Sören Dahm (Kather Augenstein); Robert Knaps (Kather Augenstein); Nicole Schopp (Kather Augenstein); Christoph Heringlake (Kather Augenstein); Kai Stornebel (Gramm, Lins & Partner Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartGmbH)RespondentsReps: Marcus Grosch (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP); Johannes Bukow (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP); Tonio Allendorf (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP)
- Division
- Dusseldorf LD
- Technology
- Pharmaceutical & Medical
- Language
- German
- First decided
- Feb 25, 2026
- Last decision
- May 7, 2026
- 2026-05-07PI deniedPreliminary injunctionApplication for provisional measures
The Local Division Düsseldorf dismissed the application for provisional measures filed by Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA against BrainPortfolio Inc. and BrainRobotics Inc. concerning alleged indirect infringement of EP 3 001 984 B1. The court found that, on summary examination, it could not determine with the required certainty that the accused product (Kneuro microprocessor knee system) actually implements the claimed method, because the 'Donkey-Kick' activation movement constitutes an artificial, deliberate switching movement incompatible with the patent's requirement of intuitive/automatic control. Additionally, the court found it could not exclude that the claimant had acted with undue delay (Zuwarten) in filing the application, further undermining the urgency required for provisional measures.
Legal issues:Indirect (contributory) infringement of method claim for controlling a prosthetic knee jointClaim construction of 'criteria' under feature 1.2(b): whether criteria must reflect natural movement patterns enabling intuitive/automatic controlWhether the 'Donkey-Kick' activation sequence in the accused product meets the patent's requirement of parameters reflecting natural prosthetic movementUndue delay (unangemessenes Zuwarten) under R. 211.4 RoP: timing of the claimant's knowledge of potential infringementUrgency (Dringlichkeit) as a prerequisite for provisional measuresIdentity of BrainPortfolio Inc. and BrainRobotics Inc. as legal entities (DBA issue)Jurisdiction of the Düsseldorf Local Division under Art. 32(1)(c), Art. 33(1)(a) UPCA - 2026-02-25Application for provisional measures
Düsseldorf Local Division issued a preliminary procedural order scheduling an oral hearing in the provisional measures proceedings by Ottobock against BrainPortfolio Inc. and BrainRobotics Inc. for 22 April 2026. The order set filing deadlines for the parties' written submissions in preparation for the hearing and invited parties to notify participants. This is a case management order with no substantive ruling on the merits.
Legal issues:Provisional measures oral hearing scheduling (R.209.1(b) RoP)Case management order
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| Final Order | 2026-05-07 | Public |
| action.phaseChange.caseClose | 2026-05-07 | Not public |
| action.issueDecision.decision | 2026-05-07 | Not public |
| Final Order | 2026-05-07 | Not public |
| Hearing recording reference document | 2026-04-23 | Not public |
| action.phaseChange.oralPhaseOpen | 2026-04-21 | Not public |
| Other Documents | 2026-04-21 | Public |
| Receipt | 2026-04-08 | Not public |
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| Statement of rejoinder | 2026-03-23 | Not public |
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| Statement of reply | 2026-03-09 | Not public |
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| Submission Claimant | 2026-02-16 | Not public |
| action.issueOrder.order | 2026-02-12 | Not public |
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| action.issueOrder.order | 2025-12-12 | Not public |
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| Cover sheet | 2025-12-10 | Not public |
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| Application for provisional measures | 2025-12-10 | Not public |
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The patent's claimed 'criteria' must reflect natural movement patterns enabling intuitive/automatic control without deliberate switching movements, as consistently stated throughout the patent description distinguishing the invention from prior art requiring artificial activation movements
RespondentLegal basis: Art. 69 EPC and Protocol on Interpretation; claim construction from skilled person's perspectiveThe accused product's 'Donkey-Kick' activation (deliberate backward kick followed by fast high-knee) constitutes a conscious, deliberate, and artificial switching movement that does not qualify as a natural prosthetic movement pattern meeting claim feature 1.2(b)
RespondentLegal basis: R. 211.2 RoP (required certainty for provisional measures)It cannot be excluded that the claimant had constructive knowledge of potentially infringing characteristics by early July 2025 at the latest, and therefore could have filed the application no later than mid-to-late October 2025 rather than mid-December 2025, resulting in undue delay
RespondentLegal basis: R. 211.4 RoP (undue delay in applying for provisional measures)No rectification of parties (Rubrumsberichtigung) is warranted because the respondents themselves created ambiguity about their separate legal identities in the product packaging and user manual
ClaimantLegal basis: General principles of legal representation and liability in commercial dealings
The claimant only acquired complete knowledge of the infringement facts on 4 December 2025, and the acquisition of the accused device required certified orthopaedic technicians making earlier testing impossible without elaborate deception
ClaimantLegal basis: R. 211.4 RoPThe accused product implements feature 1.2(b) because an IF-function comparing parameters against threshold values sequentially constitutes 'criteria' under the claim, and there are multiple criteria because there are multiple special functions (stair descent, stumble protection, etc.)
ClaimantLegal basis: Claim construction under Art. 69 EPCFor subsequent steps of alternating stair climbing, the activation movements become less unusual and could constitute natural prosthetic movement
ClaimantLegal basis: Claim construction and infringement analysis under R. 211.2 RoP