UPC_CFI_241/2023

The Milan Local Division issued a costs decision pursuant to Rule 156 RoP following a prior merits judgment (ORD_598484/2023) in favour of Oerlikon Textile against Bhagat Textile Engineers for infringement of EP 2 145 848. The court awarded Oerlikon EUR 80,000 in recoverable representation costs (EUR 65,000 for the main action and EUR 15,000 for the preservation of evidence proceedings), reduced from the claimed EUR 120,425.28, on the basis that the case was relatively straightforward with no validity or infringement dispute by the defendant.

Decision on the merits by the Milan Local Division (full panel) in an infringement action by Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co KG against Bhagat Textile Engineers (India) concerning a texturing/structuring machine exhibited at ITMA 2023. The defendant did not contest infringement or validity. The court refused to stay proceedings pending parallel revocation proceedings against the same patent by a different defendant. The court granted a permanent injunction prohibiting sale and promotion of the infringing machine in Italy and Germany, imposed a penalty of EUR 12,000 per breach payable to the court, awarded provisional damages of EUR 15,000, set the case value at EUR 750,000, and ordered Bhagat to bear 80% of costs (with 20% offset for Oerlikon's behavior during settlement negotiations).

Milan Local Division found that Bhagat Textile Engineers infringed EP 2 145 848 by exhibiting its texturing machine at ITMA fair in June 2023. The Court issued a permanent injunction against sales in Italy and Germany, imposed a penalty of EUR 12,000 per violation, and ordered provisional damages of EUR 15,000. Costs were 80% charged to Bhagat, 20% compensated between parties.

Procedural order (in Italian) requiring parties to submit a summary of issues to be addressed at the forthcoming Interim Conference and to notify the court of attendees' names and capacities. The order also addressed the balance between the transparency principle and the right to protect confidential information, particularly regarding costs information in a case where a settlement may have been under discussion.

The Milan Local Division ordered service of the Statement of Claim on defendants without transmitting the approximately 2,000 pages of exhibits, with the claimant's consent.