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UPC CFI 9/2024

Jan 12, 2024·EP2186428 · Tissue design for protective clothing

Action number: ACT 953/2024

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Case details
Status
Case Closed (Patent infringed)
Action
Infringement
Category
Main infringement action
Parties
Claimants
Representatives
Respondents
Representatives
Division
Nordic-Baltic RD
Judges
Technology
  • Chemistry
    Surface technology, coating
  • Other fields
    Other consumer goods
Language
English
First decided
Oct 29, 2024
Last decision
Jul 31, 2025
EPO Opposition
How this compares
The court's record for this kind of case, counted in first-instance rulings. A figure in brackets is the number of rulings a rate rests on.
Infringement foundMedian days to first decision
All UPC53% (62/117)124
Nordic-Baltic RDLockedLocked
Judge Stefan JohanssonLockedLocked
Judge Alima ZanaLockedLocked
Judge Kai HärmandLockedLocked
Judge Marie-Paule VandebergLockedLocked

At the UPC: TEXPORT Handelsgesellschaft mbH (4 cases)·Sioen NV (4 cases)

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Related cases
All proceedings on this patent

This dispute contains 3 other proceedings

UPC CFI 964/2025·UPC APP 35755/2025·UPC APP 10381/2024

Start a free trial to see how each one ended.

More cases: Nordic-Baltic RD·2024

Decisions
  • 2025-07-31
    Infringement ActionPublic

    Summary: Decision by Nordic-Baltic Regional Division (UPC_CFI_9/2024, 31 July 2025) finding Sioen NV liable for infringement of EP 2 186 428 B2 (protective workwear / clothing) across 16 UPC member states. An injunction was granted, product recall and destruction ordered, information on sales required, damages declared owing, and EUR 50,000 awarded as interim legal costs. All other requests were dismissed.

    Show the legal issues (5)
    • Patent infringement (found)
    • Injunction, recall and destruction
    • Damages declaration
    • Interim cost award (EUR 50,000)
    • Protective workwear patent
  • 2024-10-29
    Infringement ActionPublic

    Summary: The Nordic-Baltic Regional Division issued a post-interim-conference order in infringement proceedings, setting the value of the action at EUR 500,000, closing the written procedure, partially referring a preliminary objection issue to main proceedings, and allowing certain expert evidence previously contested by the defendant.

    Show the legal issues (5)
    • Value of action (R.370.6 RoP)
    • Interim conference decisions
    • Preliminary objection referral to main proceedings
    • Admissibility of expert evidence
    • Parallel Belgian proceedings
Documents
Document titleDatePublic
CFI_9-2024 Decision anonymised2025-07-31Not public
DecisionOutcome2025-07-31Not public
Decision on the merits2025-07-31Not public
Decision on the merits2025-07-31Public
Recording document of oral hearing2025-02-19Not public
Recording document of oral hearing2025-02-19Not public
Preliminary_Objection_DecisionOutcome2024-12-20Not public
RoP 105.5 Order - Anonymized2024-12-12Not public
Interim-Procedure-Closure2024-12-10Not public
Summon-Oral-Hearing2024-12-10Not public
Summons2024-12-10Public
Hearing-Dates2024-12-10Not public
RoP 105.5 Order2024-12-10Public
RoP 105.5 Order2024-12-10Not public
Preliminary estimate of legal costs_Sioen NV2024-12-02Not public
List of Annexes2024-11-29Not public
Annex A582024-11-29Not public
Annex A592024-11-29Not public
estimation of costs2024-11-29Not public
Conference Reference2024-11-14Not public
Conference Reference2024-11-14Not public
Panel-Appointment2024-11-08Not public
Anonymized order2024-11-04Not public
Fix-Interim-Conference-Date2024-11-04Not public
Interim-Conference-Decision2024-11-04Not public
Written-Procedure-Closure2024-11-04Not public
Hearing-Dates2024-11-04Not public
Order2024-10-29Public
Order2024-10-29Not public
Order2024-10-29Not public
Preliminary Order2024-10-14Public
Exhibit 12024-10-10Not public
Comments on preliminary agenda interim conference2024-10-10Not public
Annex A552024-10-10Not public
Annex A562024-10-10Not public
Annex A572024-10-10Not public
Comments pursuant to RoP2642024-10-10Not public
Preliminary Order2024-10-08Not public
Procedural Order2024-10-08Public
Receipt2024-08-06Not public
Annex A532024-08-06Not public
Annex A542024-08-06Not public
RoP 9 request2024-08-06Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-07-26Not public
Exhibit A.102024-07-26Not public
Exhibit A.132024-07-26Not public
Exhibit A.142024-07-26Not public
Rejoinder2024-07-26Not public
Exhibit D.52024-07-26Not public
Exhibit A122024-07-26Not public
Exhibit A.112024-07-26Not public
Exhibit D.42024-07-26Not public
Rule 28 RoP Order2024-07-22Public
Hearing-Dates2024-07-22Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-06-27Not public
Annex A492024-06-27Not public
Reply to the Statement of Defence2024-06-27Not public
Annex A432024-06-27Not public
Annex A462024-06-27Not public
Annex A442024-06-27Not public
Annex A522024-06-27Not public
Annex A472024-06-27Not public
Annex A452024-06-27Not public
Annex A512024-06-27Not public
Annex A502024-06-27Not public
Annex A482024-06-27Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-04-30Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-04-29Not public
Statement of Defence2024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.42024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.12024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.22024-04-29Not public
Exhibit B.32024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.52024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.72024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.62024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.92024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.12024-04-29Not public
Exhibit D.32024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.22024-04-29Not public
Exhibit D.12024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.8.a-A.8.b2024-04-29Not public
Exhibit B.22024-04-29Not public
Exhibit D.22024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.52024-04-29Not public
Exhibit B.12024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.42024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.62024-04-29Not public
Exhibit A.32024-04-29Not public
Exhibit C.32024-04-29Not public
Annex A402024-04-19Not public
Annex A412024-04-19Not public
Comments pursuant to RoP2642024-04-19Not public
Annex A382024-04-19Not public
Annex A392024-04-19Not public
Annex A422024-04-19Not public
Exhibit 82024-04-11Not public
Additional Comments to Defendant's Priliminary Objection2024-04-11Not public
Exhibit 72024-04-11Not public
Preliminary Order2024-03-26Not public
Preliminary Order2024-03-26Not public
Outcome of the Order2024-03-26Not public
Procedural Order2024-03-26Public
Summery request (with reply to comments Claimant)2024-03-19Not public
Comments on extension of deadline2024-03-12Not public
commentPreliminaryObjection2024-03-11Not public
Annex A 36 commercial register excerpts of Claimant and its parent company2024-03-11Not public
Annex A 37 List of Annexes as of 11 March 20242024-03-11Not public
Comment on Preliminary Objection2024-03-11Not public
Preliminary Order2024-03-04Not public
Receipt2024-02-28Not public
Exhibit 32024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 22024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 52024-02-27Not public
Request for extension of time limits (Rule 9(3)a RoP)2024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 62024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 42024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 12024-02-27Not public
preliminaryObjection2024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 62024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 12024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 52024-02-27Not public
Preliminary objection for SIOEN NV2024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 32024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 22024-02-27Not public
Exhibit 42024-02-27Not public
epoUploadDocumentsWorkflow2024-01-30Not public
Document from EPO2024-01-30Not public
Acknowledgement of access to case2024-01-26Not public
Notification Of Service2024-01-26Not public
Confirmation of service2024-01-26Not public
Letter for Service2024-01-19Not public
Panel-Appointment2024-01-18Not public
EPO-Request-for-case-pending2024-01-15Not public
Receipt2024-01-15Not public
Formal-checks_Notification-of-positive-outcome2024-01-15Not public
Annex A72024-01-15Not public
Annex A12024-01-15Not public
Annex A62024-01-15Not public
Annex A132024-01-15Not public
Annex A352024-01-15Not public
Annex A52024-01-15Not public
Annex A102024-01-15Not public
Annex A212024-01-15Not public
Annex A312024-01-15Not public
Annex A252024-01-15Not public
Annex A242024-01-15Not public
Annex A192024-01-15Not public
Annex A82024-01-15Not public
Annex A272024-01-15Not public
Annex A232024-01-15Not public
Annex A172024-01-15Not public
Annex A112024-01-15Not public
Annex A332024-01-15Not public
Annex A182024-01-15Not public
Annex A162024-01-15Not public
Annex A142024-01-15Not public
Statement of claim2024-01-15Not public
Annex A42024-01-15Not public
Annex A322024-01-15Not public
Annex A122024-01-15Not public
Annex A202024-01-15Not public
Annex A92024-01-15Not public
Annex A292024-01-15Not public
Annex A342024-01-15Not public
Annex A22024-01-15Not public
Annex A152024-01-15Not public
Annex A222024-01-15Not public
Annex A262024-01-15Not public
Formal response to the request for amendments2024-01-15Not public
Annex A32024-01-15Not public
Annex A302024-01-15Not public
Annex A282024-01-15Not public
Formal-checks_Request-for-correction2024-01-15Not public
Acknowledgement-of-lodging2024-01-12Not public
Annex A72024-01-12Not public
Annex A12024-01-12Not public
Annex A282024-01-12Not public
Annex A52024-01-12Not public
Annex A182024-01-12Not public
Annex A122024-01-12Not public
Annex A62024-01-12Not public
Annex A32024-01-12Not public
Annex A222024-01-12Not public
Annex A142024-01-12Not public
Annex A262024-01-12Not public
Annex A102024-01-12Not public
Annex A152024-01-12Not public
Annex A252024-01-12Not public
Annex A312024-01-12Not public
Annex A272024-01-12Not public
Annex A352024-01-12Not public
Annex A212024-01-12Not public
Annex A202024-01-12Not public
Annex A82024-01-12Not public
Annex A192024-01-12Not public
Annex A22024-01-12Not public
Annex A232024-01-12Not public
Annex A132024-01-12Not public
Annex A322024-01-12Not public
Annex A42024-01-12Not public
Annex A302024-01-12Not public
Annex A162024-01-12Not public
Annex A172024-01-12Not public
Statement of claim2024-01-12Not public
Annex A112024-01-12Not public
Annex A242024-01-12Not public
Annex A342024-01-12Not public
Annex A332024-01-12Not public
Annex A92024-01-12Not public
Annex A292024-01-12Not public
Coverage: Partial.Reasoning extracted with partial coverage — some sections may be incomplete.
Plain-English summary

TEXPORT Handelsgesellschaft mbH, an Austrian protective workwear company, sued Sioen NV (Belgian), a major workwear manufacturer, before the Nordic-Baltic Regional Division for infringement of EP 2 186 428 B2, a patent covering a specific tissue/fabric design for protective clothing including a waffle-structure knitted layer. The court found infringement across 16 UPC member states, granted an injunction, recall, destruction, information disclosure, and awarded EUR 50,000 as an interim costs order. Sioen's challenges to the admissibility of TEXPORT's expert evidence were dismissed.

Accepted arguments
What the court agreed with — by party.

  • Infringement of EP 2 186 428 B2 (protective workwear patent) by Sioen NV across 16 UPC member states

    ClaimantLegal basis: Art. 25 UPCA

    Note: Nordic-Baltic Regional Division found Sioen's products infringed TEXPORT's patent; injunction, recall, destruction, information disclosure and damages were granted.

  • Expert witness statements submitted by TEXPORT were admissible as justified reactions and replies to the Statement of Defence even though filed after initial pleadings

    ClaimantLegal basis: UPC Rules of Procedure on admissibility of evidence

    Note: Court allowed the written statements, including the corrected version, because the first statement apparently attached was the wrong version intended for Belgian proceedings and the second was filed almost immediately after the rejoinder highlighted the mistake.

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

  • Exclusion of expert statements and associated claimant reasoning from proceedings

    RespondentLegal basis: UPC Rules of Procedure

    Reason: Defendant's requests to exclude the written statements were dismissed: the statements constituted a justified reply to the Statement of Defence, the fact that one statement was prepared for Belgian proceedings did not make it inadmissible, and the corrected second statement was filed almost immediately after the issue was raised.

Key legal principles
Doctrines and rules cited in the reasoning.
Expert/written statements filed as replies to Statement of Defence are admissible if they constitute justified reactions to new defence argumentsThe fact a witness statement was originally drafted for parallel national proceedings does not render it inadmissibleTechnical findings on infringement: knitted waffle-structure layer constitutes infringement of the protective workwear patent

Browse other cases on this principle.

Claim construction notes

Key disputed claim element was whether Sioen's products have a knitted layer/material constituting a 'waffle structure' within the meaning of EP 2 186 428 B2. The oral hearing was structured around this question; the court found the waffle structure feature was present in Sioen's products. The court also addressed whether Sioen's participation in a public tender (not granted) constituted an 'offering' or 'offer to supply' within the patent's territorial scope.