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UPC CFI 497/2024

Sep 30, 2024·EP3756767: MODULAR POINT-OF-CARE DEVICES AND USES THEREOF

Case details
Status
Case Closed
Action
Revocation
Category
Main Revocation Action
Parties
Claimants
Reps: Benjamin Husband
Respondents
Reps: Christof Höhne
Division
Milan CD
Judges
Technology
Medical Devices · Diagnostics · Biotechnology
Language
English
First decided
Oct 23, 2025
Claims
At issueall
Maintainedall
Amendedall
Notes: Revocation action rejected; EP 3 756 767 maintained as amended by Auxiliary Request 3; specific amended claim numbers not enumerated in excerpt.
Decisions
  • 2025-10-23
    Patent amendedRevocation meritsRevocation Action

    The Central Division Milan rejected the revocation action by bioMérieux against Labrador Diagnostics' EP 3 756 767 B1 (diagnostic test patent), maintaining the patent in amended form pursuant to Auxiliary Request 3; bioMérieux was ordered to pay EUR 400,000 in legal costs to Labrador.

    Legal issues:Revocation action - novelty, inventive step, added subject-matter, sufficiencyAuxiliary requests and patent amendmentProportionality in managing multiple invalidity attacksConfidentiality of agreed costs amount
Documents
Document titleDatePublic
action.phaseChange.caseClose2025-10-23Not public
Decision2025-10-23Public
action.issueDecision.decision2025-10-23Not public
action.issueDecision.decision2025-10-23Not public
48305/2024/OH/MIL-CTL/UPC2025091210AM2025-09-16Not public
48305/2024/OH/MIL-CTL/UPC2025091210AM2025-09-16Not public
Receipt2025-09-11Not public
Receipt2025-09-10Not public
Receipt2025-09-10Not public
2025.09.10 - Submission re value of actions and preliminary estimate of costs2025-09-10Not public
20250910_ACT_48305_2024_App_36531.2025_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_App_R262.2RoP2025-09-10Not public
20250910_ACT_48305_2024_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_Letter2025-09-10Not public
20250910_ACT_48305_2024_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_Letter2025-09-10Not public
Receipt2025-09-10Not public
Receipt2025-09-10Not public
20250908_ACT_48305_2024_App_36328.2025_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_App_R262.2RoP2025-09-09Not public
20250909_ACT_48305_2024_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_Letter2025-09-09Not public
20250909_ACT_48305_2024_BioMerieux vs Labrador_EIP_Letter2025-09-09Not public
Headnote-and-Keywords2025-09-02Not public
Interim-Procedure-Closure2025-09-02Not public
Summon-Oral-Hearing2025-09-02Not public
Procedural order to set the date2025-09-02Public
Hearing-Dates2025-09-02Not public
Outcome of the Order2025-09-02Not public
Procedural order coming from the Interim Conference2025-09-02Public
Receipt2025-08-04Not public
20250801_ACT_48305_2024_App_34166.2025_BioMerieux vs Labrador_Response to BM submission2025-08-01Not public
bioMerieux Response to Court order2025-07-21Not public
20250721_ACT_48305_2024_EIP_Response to Order following IC.pdf2025-07-21Not public
Exhibit2025-07-21Not public
Procedural order coming from the Interim Conference2025-07-18Public
Hearing Reference Document 48305_20242025-07-14Not public
Hearing Reference Document 48305_20242025-07-14Not public
Fix-Interim-Conference-Date2025-07-09Not public
Interim-Conference-Decision2025-07-09Not public
Written-Procedure-Closure2025-07-09Not public
Order 9 RoP2025-05-26Public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-04-17Not public
1883/2025_48305_2024 Application2025-04-17Not public
Outcome of the Order2025-04-11Not public
Order 9 RoP2025-04-11Public
Panel-Appointment2025-03-28Not public
Panel-Appointment2025-03-28Not public
Rejoin-Amend-Patent-Defence2025-03-26Not public
2025.03.26 - CD Rejoinder to the Reply to app to amend2025-03-26Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-02-26Not public
20250226 Rejoinder to the Reply to the Defence2025-02-26Not public
Reply-Amend-Patent-Defence2025-02-26Not public
20250226 Reply to the Defence to the Application to Amend2025-02-26Not public
Hearing-Dates2025-02-26Not public
Procedural Order Rule 28 RoP2025-02-26Public
Hearing-Dates2025-02-26Not public
Receipt2025-01-31Not public
CR-Rev 302025-01-31Not public
2025.01.31 - Rule 9 Application (Revocation)2025-01-31Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 252025-01-27Not public
Reply to Defence to Revocation (signed)2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 27a2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 292025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 272025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 26a2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 262025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 242025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 282025-01-27Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 272025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 252025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 292025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 26a2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 282025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 242025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 27a2025-01-27Not public
CR-Rev 262025-01-27Not public
Reply to Defence to Revocation (signed)2025-01-27Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-11-27Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-11-27Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-11-27Not public
Exhibit EIP 42024-11-26Not public
20241126_UPC_62901.2024_ACT_48305.2024_EIP_Application to amend a patent2024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 32024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 12024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 22024-11-26Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 22024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 42024-11-26Not public
20241126_UPC_ACT_48305.2024_EIP_Defence to Revocation2024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 12024-11-26Not public
Exhibit EIP 32024-11-26Not public
Panel-Appointment2024-10-15Not public
Acknowledgement of access to case2024-10-08Not public
Notification Of Service2024-10-07Not public
Service status2024-10-07Not public
Letter for Service2024-09-04Not public
Panel-Appointment2024-09-04Not public
EPO-Request-for-case-pending2024-09-02Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-09-02Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-09-02Not public
CR-Rev 212024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 152024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 82024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8b2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 162024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 232024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 7 (part 1)2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 3 (part 2)2024-08-30Not public
Payment receipt2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8a (part 1)2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 102024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 202024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 42024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 172024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 52024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 192024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 222024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8d2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 132024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8c2024-08-30Not public
2024.08.30 - Statement for Revocation - signed2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 62024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 12024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 92024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 3 (part 3)2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8a (part 2)2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 142024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 122024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 182024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 22024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 3 (part 1)2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 8e2024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 112024-08-30Not public
CR-Rev 7 (part 2)2024-08-30Not public
Coverage: Partial.Reasoning extracted with partial coverage — some sections may be incomplete.
Plain-English summary

bioMérieux UK Limited and related entities brought a revocation action at the Milan Central Division against Labrador Diagnostics LLC's EP 3 756 767 B1 (modular point-of-care diagnostic test device). The court rejected all invalidity attacks including novelty, inventive step, added subject-matter and sufficiency against the claims as amended by Auxiliary Request 3, maintaining the patent in that amended form. bioMérieux was ordered to pay EUR 400,000 in legal costs (two-thirds of the EUR 600,000 ceiling), with the court declining Labrador's request to keep the agreed cost amount confidential.

Accepted arguments
What the court agreed with — by party.

  • The most promising invalidity attacks should be identified and unmanageable numbers of attacks may be limited by the court

    RespondentLegal basis: UPC RoP preamble (proportionality, speed)

    Note: Court held that when a party submits an unmanageable number of attacks, those not identified as most promising need not be assessed if the promising ones fail.

  • Patent EP 3 756 767 B1 is valid and maintained as amended by Auxiliary Request 3

    Respondent

    Note: All attacks based on novelty, inventive step and sufficiency against AR3 failed; the patent was maintained in amended form.

  • Amount of agreed legal costs need not be kept confidential as it does not reveal company financial strategy or patent asset value

    Claimant

    Note: Court declined to keep the EUR 400,000 cost figure confidential, ruling it did not inherently disclose commercially sensitive information.

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

  • EP 3 756 767 B1 (diagnostic test patent) is invalid for added subject-matter, lack of novelty, lack of inventive step, and insufficiency

    Claimant

    Reason: All the most promising attacks were assessed and none affected validity of the claims under AR3; remaining attacks were presumed unable to succeed.

  • Agreed amount of legal costs should be ordered confidential

    Respondent

    Reason: The agreed amount of legal costs does not in itself reveal company financial capacity, commercial strategy or importance of the patent as a corporate asset.

Key legal principles
Doctrines and rules cited in the reasoning.
Court may limit assessment to most promising invalidity attacks where an unmanageable number is submitted, applying proportionality and speed principlesPatent maintained as amended under auxiliary request where main request is invalidAgreed amounts of legal costs are not inherently confidential under UPC proceedingsCosts apportioned where both parties have partial success and failure

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