Italian Company Represented by Unitalen Succeeds in Patent Infringement Suit through Settlement

August 31, 2018

Selle Royal is an Italian company specialized in the production of high-end bicycles and accessories, with sales networks in more than 70 countries and regions around the world. Its products are popular among a wide range of individual cyclists and bicycle manufacturers globally.

In November 2016, Selle Royal uncovered Dongfanghong Company (the defendant) was producing and selling through the Internet bicycle saddles and related products suspected of infringing two invention patents owned by Selle Royal. Selle Royal then entrusted Unitalen to start a lawsuit before Taizhou Intermediate People's Court claiming that the defendant's conducts have constituted patent infringement, and requesting the court to order the defendant cease infringement and compensate the loss totaled 2.4 million yuan RMB.

The defendant tried two times with four invalidation actions against the two patents involved. Despite this, the court of first instance did not rule on the suspension of the trial. Meanwhile, after the unremitting efforts of Unitalen lawyers, both patents of Selle Royal have been maintained wholly, laying a solid foundation for the final handshake of the proceedings.

With the plaintiff’s two patents maintained after two rounds of invalidation, and the collegial panel having concluded initial judgement after hearing, the presiding judge organized the two sides for multiple rounds of mediation, and finally in June 2018, the two sides reached an agreement that the defendant acknowledges the infringement and promises to respect the patent rights of Selle Royal, and that the defendant will cease infringement activities and pay for the economic loss of the plaintiff.   

 

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