Gillette emerges victorious in German patent dispute
Shaving company Gillette has secured a win in Germany after a Düsseldorf court handed victory to the company over rival Wilkinson Sword, a subsidiary of Edgewell Personal Care.
The Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf ordered Wilkinson Sword to stop distributing razor blades that fit on Gillette’s Mach 3 razor.
In an announcement released yesterday, January 11, the court said that the interchangeable blades infringe Gillette’s patent rights, and issued a preliminary injunction against Wilkinson Sword. The court added that the judgment is not final.
The ruling affirms a decision made by the District Court of Düsseldorf in July this year, a ruling which both parties lodged an appeal against.
Germany is not the only country that the two companies are sparring in.
In September 2017, WIPR reported that Gillette, a subsidiary of consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, had sued Edgewell in the US for the second time in just over one year.
Gillette claimed, in a filing at the US District Court for the District of Connecticut, that Edgewell’s Hydro Connect 5 razor cartridges are positioned as compatible with Gillette Fusion handles.
Edgewell was accused of infringing a patent which relates to how the razor cartridge and handle connect.
A month later, in October, the US International Trade Commission announced it would investigate Edgewell based on a patent complaint filed by Gillette.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.
Today’s top stories
TiVo continues patent fight with Comcast
Hogan Lovells appoints IP litigator as board chair
Awapatent expands IP department
Chinese court rules against Samsung, again
AG advises CJEU on German castle name clash
Federal Circuit affirms tossed patent suits against HTC and BlackBerry
Complete our Reader Survey and tell us what you think about WIPR for a chance win a corporate subscription worth £2450.
