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UPC CFI 461/2025

Jun 6, 2025·EP1516720: Composite element comprising a polyurethane adhesion promoter

Case details
Status
Written Phase
Action
Revocation
Category
Main Revocation Action
Parties
Claimants
Reps: Claus Becker (Bird & Bird LLP); Domien Op de Beeck (Bird & Bird (Belgium) LLP, Brussels); Jean-Christophe Troussel (Bird & Bird (Belgium) LLP, Brussels); Matthias Meyer (Bird & Bird LLP)
Respondents
Reps: André Sabellek (rospatt Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB); Simon Klopschinski (rospatt Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB); Melanie Strobel (rospatt Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB); Tobias Hoheisel (Cohausz & Florack); Natalie Kirchhofer (Cohausz & Florack)
Division
Paris CD
Judges
Technology
Materials & Chemistry · Polymers · Polymers
Language
German
First decided
Apr 22, 2026
Claims
At issue1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Revoked1 (granted), 4 (granted), 9 (granted)
Maintained1 (Auxiliary Request 1), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Auxiliary Request 1)
Amended1, 9
Notes: Claims 1 and 4 in the granted form lack inventive step over D19; claim 9 in the granted form lacks novelty over D19. The patent is maintained in the amended form of Auxiliary Request 1 with narrowed adhesion-promoter composition. Dependent claims 2, 3, 5-8 are maintained unchanged, supported by validity of the amended independent claims.
Decisions
  • 2026-04-22
    Patent amendedRevocation meritsRevocation Action

    The revocation action against EP 1 516 720 was dismissed as to the granted form: claims 1 and 4 lack inventive step starting from D19, and claim 9 lacks novelty over D19, so the patent in its granted form is declared invalid. However, the patent is maintained in the amended form of Auxiliary Request 1, which narrows the adhesion-promoter composition in claims 1 and 9 to polyisocyanates reacted with polyetherols and/or polyesterols at a defined isocyanate index. Costs are split 70% claimants / 30% respondent, with the court ruling only on claimants' costs as respondent filed no cost request.

    Legal issues:standing/legal interest (Rechtsschutzinteresse) to challenge an expired patentadmissibility of corrected auxiliary requests (editorial amendments)claim construction of 'reactive adhesion promoter layer' and 'noch reaktionsfähig'novelty of claims 1, 4, 9 over D11 (WO 99/00559) and D14 (GB 1 356 564)lack of inventive step of claims 1 and 4 starting from D19 (WO 98/01279)lack of novelty of claim 9 over D19density ranges (features 2.2.3 and 2.3.2) as routine technical choices within common general knowledgevalidity of Auxiliary Request 1 — admissibility under Art. 123(2) EPC and patentability
Documents
Document titleDatePublic
Receipt2026-05-22Not public
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Application document Defendant2026-05-22Not public
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Application Respondent2026-05-22Not public
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action.phaseChange.caseClose2026-04-22Not public
action.issueDecision.decision2026-04-22Not public
Decision2026-04-22Not public
action.phaseChange.oralPhaseClose2026-03-19Not public
Hearing recording reference document2026-03-19Not public
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action.phaseChange.interimPhaseClose2026-02-27Not public
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action.summons.oralHearing2026-02-06Not public
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action.issueOrder.order2026-02-04Not public
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action.issueOrder.order2026-01-26Not public
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action.phaseChange.writtenPhaseClose2026-01-19Not public
action.issueOrder.order2026-01-16Not public
Order2026-01-16Not public
Receipt2026-01-07Not public
Cover sheet2026-01-07Not public
Further pleadings2026-01-07Not public
Exhibit document Claimant2026-01-07Not public
Cover sheet2025-12-08Not public
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Statement of rejoinder2025-12-08Not public
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action.summons.interimHearing2025-11-19Not public
Order2025-11-19Not public
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Other document Defendant2025-11-14Not public
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Other document Claimant2025-11-14Not public
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Statement of reply2025-11-07Not public
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action.issueOrder.order2025-11-03Not public
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action.issueOrder.order2025-10-30Not public
Order2025-10-30Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-09-10Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2025-09-10Not public
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Panel-Appointment2025-07-21Not public
Notification Of Service2025-07-15Not public
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Acknowledgement of access to case2025-07-10Not public
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Accepted arguments
What the court agreed with — by party.

  • Legal interest to bring revocation action exists even after patent expiry because respondent threatened damages claims for the in-force period (Belgian evidence-preservation proceedings)

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 65 UPCA; general procedural law on Rechtsschutzinteresse

  • Claims 1, 4 and 9 are novel over D11 because D11 does not disclose: (a) the required density of the adhesion-promoter layer (feature 2.2.3), and (b) the adhesion-promoter being applied as a still-reactive two-component liquid mixture

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 54 EPC

  • Claims 1, 4 and 9 are novel over D14 because D14 discloses a single-component isocyanate prepolymer adhesive, not a two-component reactive mixture, and does not disclose polyurethane-containing adhesion promoter with the claimed density

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 54 EPC

  • Claims 1 and 4 lack inventive step starting from D19, because D19 already discloses the two-component reactive polyurethane adhesion promoter applied in liquid form while still reactive, and the remaining distinguishing features (density ranges 2.2.3 and 2.3.2) represent routine technical choices within common general knowledge as evidenced by D12 and D11

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 56 EPC

  • Claim 9 lacks novelty over D19 because D19 discloses the same use of a reactive polyurethane adhesion promoter still reactive when foam is applied, and claim 9 contains no density limitation to distinguish it

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 54 EPC

  • Auxiliary Request 1 is not an inadmissible intermediate generalisation: the patentee may choose the scope of its amendment, and claim 1 as granted does not require identity between the first and second adhesion-promoter applications

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 123(2) EPC

  • The arguments raised by claimants against Auxiliary Request 1 (D9, D10, D11, D14) cannot undermine patentability given those same documents failed against the granted claims

    RespondentLegal basis: Art. 54, 56 EPC
Rejected arguments
What the court did not agree with — and why.

  • Claims 1, 4 and 9 lack inventive step starting from D11 in combination with D14, D19, D20 or D21 because those combinations would lead the skilled person to the claimed reactive two-component adhesion promoter

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 56 EPC

  • Claims 1 and 4 lack inventive step starting from D22, even in combination with D14, D20 or D21

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 56 EPC

  • Auxiliary Request 1 claims 1 and 9 are unclear because features 3.2.1/Vw2.2.1 implicitly presuppose that the reaction is complete before application

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 84 EPC

  • Auxiliary Request 1 constitutes an inadmissible intermediate generalisation because the restriction to specific polyols in step B is not applied equally to the optional second adhesion-promoter in step D

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 123(2) EPC

  • The adhesion promotion in the patent is achieved merely by using a PUR adhesion-promoter layer as such, without the layer needing to remain reactive at the time of foam application

    ClaimantLegal basis: claim construction / Art. 69 EPC