Avery Dennison files MDO patent suit against UPM Raflatac

In the suit, Avery Dennison ‘asks the German court to prevent UPM Raflatac from manufacturing, marketing, or selling Raflex MDO without a license’. In a statement Avery Dennison said Global MDO is protected under patents granted in both Europe and China, and has patent applications pending in the US and Brazil.

‘Avery Dennison respects the intellectual property rights of other companies and individuals and expects others to do the same,’ said Jeroen Diderich, vice president, global marketing, Avery Dennison Materials Group. ‘We attempted to negotiate a license agreement with UPM Raflatac, in the hope of avoiding litigation while allowing their continued supply of this product. Unfortunately, that effort was unsuccessful.’

Avery Dennison's Global MDO (machine direction oriented) technology was launched in September 2011, and is the latest development of the company's MDO product family which has been marketed globally since 1995.

In a statement, UPM Raflatac said: ‘During the past several years, UPM Raflatac has been developing a number of products within the MDO film technology field that have resulted in several new inventions that are protected globally through patenting. Raflex MDO is one good example of this development program, creating a high performing product that brings an alternative to the market place.

‘UPM Raflatac disputes that any infringement has occurred and has continuously sought to seek mutual understanding in this claim. In the absence of such understanding, UPM Raflatac will use every effort to protect itself against this groundless claim and its right to continue the manufacturing and supply of Raflex MDO to its customers.’