blog
WIPR
Implementers praise German patent reforms

Implementers have welcomed reforms to Germany’s laws which weaken patent owners’ right to an injunction if successful in litigation, but their impact on case law remains to be seen. “This principle is a basic tenet of German legal philosophy, meaning any sanction must be proportionate to the offence committed. But patent law was essentially exempt from that,” Ludwig von Reiche,IP2Innovate's board member, told WIPR. “We expect courts to have to consider it if it is pleaded. It will most likely be pleaded in many cases and case law needs to be established,” added von Reiche.
Share
Other press coverage
Wall Street Journal
Germany Shuts Door on Patent Trolls
BERLIN—Germany on Friday removed a legislative quirk that had made it a prime destination for globally active patent litigators who increasingly target fast-growing tech companies.
Handelsblatt
Telekom warnt vor Klagewelle
Die Einführung des neuen Telekommunikationsstandards 5G sei massiv durch unverhältnismäßige Patentverletzungsklagen gefährdet, wenn das deutschen Patentrecht nicht jetzt reformiert werde und die Berücksichtigung von „Interessen Dritter“ als Anlass für eine Verhältnismäßigkeitsprüfung eines eventuellen Unterlassungsanspruchs zulasse.
Managing IP
US firms prioritise Europe as UPC countdown begins
In the recent article of Managing IP, examining future enforcement of EU patent law by the Unified Patent Court (UPC), Katalin Lubóczki, coordinator of the UPC Working Group responsible for finalising the training plan for UPC judges emphasises that proportionality will be an important principle in UPC jurisprudence.