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UPC CFI 351/2024

Jul 1, 2024·EP3686683 +1 more: DEVELOPER REPLENISHING CONTAINER AND DEVELOPER REPLENISHING SYSTEM

Case details
Status
Case Closed
Action
Infringement
Category
Main Infringement Action
Parties
Claimants
Reps: Boris Kreye (Bird & Bird LLP); Anika Boche (Bird & Bird LLP); Lukas Wosnitza (Bird & Bird LLP); Rainer Böckelen (TBK); Tobias Schob (TBK)
Respondents
Reps: Thure Schubert (Vossius & Partner); Mattias Jentsch (Vossius & Partner); Arnold Asmussen (Vossius & Partner); Axel Leins (Vossius & Partner)
Division
Dusseldorf LD
Judges
Technology
Industrial Manufacturing · Printing & Imaging
Language
English
First decided
Nov 20, 2025
Last decision
Feb 11, 2026
Claims
At issueall
Maintainedall
Infringedall
Notes: Düsseldorf Local Division found Katun and General Plastic infringed EP 3 686 683 B1; counterclaim for revocation dismissed; specific claim numbers not enumerated in excerpt.
Decisions
  • 2026-02-11
    InfringedInjunction grantedInfringement meritsInfringement Action

    The Düsseldorf Local Division found Canon's developer supply container patent EP 3 686 683 infringed by Katun and General Plastic entities, granting an injunction and ordering defendants to publish the operative part of the decision on their websites; the counterclaim for revocation was dismissed.

    Legal issues:Patent infringement (developer supply container)Counterclaim for revocation dismissedPublication of decision on defendant's website (Art. 80 UPCA)
    Damages: Liability declared, amount deferred
  • 2025-12-29
    Infringement Action

    The Düsseldorf Local Division addressed Canon's request for simultaneous interpretation from English into Japanese during the oral hearing, for corporate representatives joining remotely from Japan.

    Legal issues:Request for simultaneous interpretation (R. 109 RoP)Remote participation by Japanese corporate representatives
  • 2025-12-10
    Generic Order

    The Düsseldorf Local Division issued a post-interim-conference order in the Canon v. Katun proceedings, setting the feature breakdown of claim 1 of EP 3 686 683 to be used at the oral hearing.

    Legal issues:Post-interim-conference order (R. 105.5 RoP)Feature breakdown of patent claim
  • 2025-11-20
    Generic Order

    The Düsseldorf Local Division granted Canon's application for a further round of written pleadings under R. 36 RoP against Katun, to address the EPO Opposition Division's preliminary opinion and additional test purchases of allegedly infringing toner cartridge products.

    Legal issues:R. 36 RoP further pleadings based on new evidenceEPO preliminary opinionAdditional test purchases - new model numbers
  • 2025-06-12
    Generic Order

    Procedural order in Canon v. Katun/General Plastic infringement action. The Düsseldorf Local Division decided under R. 37.2 RoP to proceed jointly with both the infringement action and the counterclaim for revocation (Art. 33(3)(a) UPCA) for reasons of efficiency, allowing validity and infringement to be decided on a unified factual record.

    Legal issues:Joint hearing of infringement action and counterclaim for revocation under Art. 33(3)(a) UPCAEarly decision on procedural approach under R. 37.2 RoP
Documents
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action.issueOrder.order2026-05-04Not public
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action.issueOrder.order2026-01-05Not public
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action.phaseChange.oralPhaseOpen2025-12-29Not public
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action.communication.general2025-12-10Not public
action.issueOrder.order2025-12-10Not public
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action.communication.general2025-12-02Not public
action.phaseChange.interimPhaseOpen2025-11-25Not public
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action.communication.general2025-11-20Not public
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action.summons.oralHearing2025-10-09Not public
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Order non-bifurcation2025-06-12Public
Observations on Preliminary Procedural Order2025-06-04Not public
250603 UPC (DLD) EP 683 Response to Preliminary Court Order of 28 May 20252025-06-03Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-05-30Not public
Rejoinder to Reply2025-05-30Not public
R. 37.2 RoP Pre Order2025-05-28Not public
Hearing-Dates2025-05-13Not public
Setting a date for the oral hearing2025-05-13Public
Observation re Interim Conference and Oral Hearing2025-05-07Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-05-02Not public
Reply2025-05-02Not public
Submission2025-05-02Not public
Outcome of the Order2025-04-30Not public
Extension of the time limit for submitting observations2025-04-30Public
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Application to extend the deadline2025-04-29Not public
Pre Order R. 28 RoP2025-04-25Not public
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Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2025-04-11Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-04-10Not public
Statement of Defence2025-04-10Not public
Acknowledgement of access to case2025-04-08Not public
Notification Of Service2025-03-28Not public
Service_B42025-03-28Not public
Panel-Appointment2025-03-12Not public
Outcome of the Order2025-03-04Not public
Order R. 332 f, R. 263.1, R. 33 RoP2025-03-04Public
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Order R. 332 lit. f), R. 263.1, R. 33 RoP2025-03-04Public
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Procedural Application to Help the Parties to Settle2025-02-17Not public
Request for Confidentiality R. 262.2 RoP2025-02-17Not public
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Exhibit C 422024-12-16Not public
Reply2024-12-16Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-10-15Not public
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Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-10-14Not public
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Katun Statement of Defense and Counterclaim for Revocation2024-10-14Not public
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Katun Statement of Defense and Counterclaim for Revocation2024-10-14Not public
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Katun Statement of Defense and Counterclaim for Revocation2024-10-14Not public
Acknowledgement of access to case2024-07-31Not public
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Coverage: Partial.Reasoning extracted with partial coverage — some sections may be incomplete.
Plain-English summary

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Japan) sued Katun Germany GmbH, Katun (E.D.C.) B.V., Katun Corporation (US), and General Plastic Industrial Co. (Taiwan) for infringement of EP 3 686 683 B1, a patent for a developer (toner) supply container for printers. The Düsseldorf Local Division found the patent valid and infringed, dismissed the defendants' revocation counterclaim, and granted a pan-European injunction; notably, the court ordered defendants to publish the operative part of the judgment on their websites because they had used those websites to assert non-infringement.

Accepted arguments
What the court agreed with — by party.

  • Defendants (Katun/General Plastic) infringe EP 3 686 683 B1 by supplying compatible toner cartridges

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 25 UPCA

    Note: Court found infringement of Canon's developer supply container patent and granted an injunction plus publication of the decision on defendants' websites.

  • Defendants used their website to create impression of non-infringement, justifying mandatory website publication of decision

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 80 UPCA

    Note: Court held that where a defendant has actively used its website to deny infringement, requiring it to publish the operative part of the judgment on that website is justified under Art. 80 UPCA.

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

  • Patent EP 3 686 683 B1 is invalid (counterclaim for revocation)

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 54, 56 EPC

    Reason: Counterclaim for revocation dismissed in full.

  • Additional test-purchase evidence should be admitted as further pleading under R. 36 RoP

    ClaimantLegal basis: R. 36 RoP

    Reason: Test purchase was conducted in October 2024 before the deadline for the reply to the statement of defence; claimant was obliged to act without delay and include the results in the reply rather than seeking a later further round.

Key legal principles
Doctrines and rules cited in the reasoning.
Where a defendant uses its website to deny infringement, mandatory publication of the judgment on the defendant's website is justified under Art. 80 UPCAR. 36 RoP further pleading admission requires timely explanation for why evidence could not have been filed earlierEPO preliminary opposition opinion may be submitted as publicly available information, but parties cannot expand their arguments around it without R. 36 permissionFeature breakdown of patent claims to be used at oral hearing to be communicated to parties in advance

Browse other cases on this principle.

Claim construction notes

The court adopted a detailed feature breakdown of claim 1 of EP 3 686 683 B1 (developer supply container), dividing the claim into features 1.1-1.6.2 including the moving mechanism (feature 1.6) and its sub-features: upward movement of supporting portion while supporting the supported portion (1.6.1) to bring receiving opening into communication with discharge opening during mounting operation (1.6.2). Claims 5 and 6 were also broken down regarding guiding means and rib/holding portion.