European Union: Court Procedure

El Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos examina la validez de la renuncia a la motivación del laudo arbitral en el contexto del derecho a un proceso equitativo. ¿Puede una parte renunciar legítimamente a recibir un laudo motivado sin vulnerar garantías procesales fundamentales? La sentencia analiza los requisitos para que tal renuncia sea compatible con el Convenio Europeo de Derechos Humanos y su relación con la doctrina del Tribunal Constitucional español.

Finnish Customs has uncovered a suspected sanctions evasion scheme involving nearly €6 million worth of hydraulic equipment allegedly exported to Russia through false declarations. Two individuals face aggravated charges for routing prohibited goods through Kazakhstan and Türkiye, with prosecutors expected to receive the case by year-end.

The Paris Central Division has ruled that UPC actions can be filed for patent applications nearing grant, potentially invalidating opt-outs filed after proceedings commence. This decision raises critical questions about the timing of opt-out filings and the scope of UPC jurisdiction over pending applications.

The Düsseldorf Local Division partially upheld a patent relating to multimedia content sharing in peer-to-peer configurations and found indirect infringement by Disney's streaming service. The decision addresses critical issues of claim construction, patent validity, and procedural aspects while applying established UPC case law on inventive step testing.

The Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court addresses the procedural requirements for obtaining suspensive effect when filing an application for rehearing under Article 81(2) UPCA. The decision clarifies that suspensive effect is not automatic and requires independent substantiation beyond the grounds for rehearing itself, with applicants needing to demonstrate concrete, irreparable prejudice to justify departure from the default rule of continued enforceability.

The Munich Central Division of the Unified Patent Court addressed critical procedural and substantive questions in a revocation action concerning European Patent EP 4 226 039. The court examined the burden of proof required to establish lack of entitlement under Art. 138(1)(e) EPC, the court's discretion to assess dependent claims in stand-alone revocation proceedings, and the evidentiary value of Wayback Machine screenshots for proving public availability of online prior art.

The Paris Local Division of the Unified Patent Court issued a decision on the merits in an infringement action brought by Orange SA against HMD Global Oy concerning European Patent EP 2 345 029. The case involved jurisdictions across France, Germany, and Italy, with the defendant filing a conditional counterclaim for revocation under Article 33(3) of the UPCA and Article 69 of the EPC.

The Unified Patent Court's Court of Appeal examines critical questions of patent validity, including whether omitting disclosed features constitutes added matter when functional or structural links exist, and how technical effects factor into determining essential features for inventive step analysis. The decision also addresses procedural boundaries for raising new legal arguments on appeal.

The Unified Patent Court's Court of Appeal examines the scope of a defendant's obligations under an injunction order, specifically addressing whether geo-blocking purchase functions alone satisfies compliance requirements when third-party platforms continue to market prohibited products.