Regional Court Rules In Favor Of LPKF And Against Motorola In The Legal Dispute About Patent Infringement

Garbsen-based laser specialist LPKF recently announced that it has won a preliminary victory in the legal dispute concerning the infringement of the patent for Laser Direct Structuring (LDS).

On July 8, 2014, the Mannheim Regional Court ordered Motorola Deutschland and Motorola Mobility USA to refrain from selling cell phones in Germany that infringe the patent and ordered Motorola Deutschland to recall all cell phones that infringe the patent from commercial customers. Moreover, the court determined that both defendants must pay compensation. The judgment may be appealed.

The LDS process patented by LPKF is increasingly used to produce complex antennas for cell phones or tablet PCs. In 2013 the patent was declared invalid for the People’s Republic of China. LPKF subsequently submitted an application to reopen proceedings, which China’s Supreme People’s Court accepted for review. Furthermore, LPKF is systematically taking action against cell phone manufacturers that bring counterfeit LDS components into circulation outside China.

Dr. Ingo Bretthauer, CEO of LPKF AG, feels vindicated by the judgment against Motorola in his fight for the LDS patent: “The more attractive a patent is, the harder you have to work to defend it. We will continue to fight for our patent in China and systematically take action against infringers outside China. This is part and parcel of a technology company’s everyday business.”