German appeals court denies Durst claim against EFI

Digital printing specialist EFI has claimed victory in a long-running patent lawsuit in Germany brought by Durst Phototechnik, after a German appeals court ruled in its favor.

In early 2007, Durst brought a patent infringement action against EFI in the Mannheim District Court in Germany regarding a utility model, an intellectual property right that protects inventions similar to a US patent. A trial court ruled in EFI’s favor in 2009, a decision which a German appeals court backed up on December 23, 2011 after concluding that the Durst utility model is not valid and is not enforceable. From the outset, EFI maintained that the technology had been in use well before Durst's utility model was issued. 

‘We are pleased with the decision by the German appeals court,’ said EFI's general counsel, Bryan Ko. ‘Unfortunately, Durst seems intent on wasting resources bringing baseless lawsuits instead of letting customers choose between our products based on innovation and value. While we hope not to face such unfounded accusations again, EFI will continue to vigorously defend ourselves and will seek to protect our innovation and proprietary rights.’

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