Case No. O2016_012 ¦ Decision of 22 February 2017 (excerpt) ¦ “Rechtliches Gehör, unbedingtes Replikrecht, Prozessleitung, Waffengleichheit”
This procedural order is almost a blueprint of a published order in the case O2012_039; see this Blog here. Again, an alleged infringer argued for nullity as a plea in defense with his answer to the suit. Prior to the preparatory hearing, the plaintiff had been ordered and actually provided a reply only with respect to the alleged nullity, for the time being. So far so good.
But the defendant filed a factual rejoinder concerning the (in)validity of the patent in suit. This evidently frustrated the court’s intention to have one(!) reply of each party on file pertaining to the questions of infringement and nullity. Consequently, the FPC decided to not take the defendant’s submission on file at all, for the time being. The defendant may re-file the same after the preparatory hearing, with his rejoinder.
Die Prozessleitung ist Sache des Gerichts (Art. 124 Abs. 1 ZPO). Wenn die Beklagten hier nun ungefragt mit einer faktischen Duplik zur Bestandesfrage reagieren, wird das Bestreben des Gerichts, die Waffengleichheit der Parteien zu wahren, unterlaufen. Das ist zu unterbinden. Entsprechend ist die Eingabe der Beklagten (samt Beilagen) aus dem Recht zu weisen. Es steht den Beklagten frei, das Vorgebrachte (nach der Instruktionsverhandlung) im Rahmen der dann einzuholenden Duplik erneut vorzutragen.
Reported by Martin WILMING
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Case No. O2016_012 ¦ Decision of 22 February 2017 (excerpt) ¦ “Rechtliches Gehör, unbedingtes Replikrecht, Prozessleitung, Waffengleichheit”
A AG
./.
(1) B GmbH
(2) C GmbH
Composition of the Board of the FPC:
- Dr. Dieter BRÄNDLE
- Dr. Tobias BREMI
Reporting Judge:
- n/a
Court Clerk:
- Susanne ANDERHALDEN
Representative(s) of Plaintiff:
- Dr. Christian HILTI (Rentsch)
- Dr. Demian STAUBER (Rentsch)
- Dr. Bruno MEYER (Schneider Feldmann), assisting in patent matters
- Dr. Jens OTTOW (Rentsch), assisting in patent matters
Representative(s) of Defendant:
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DECISION (EXCERPT)
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