Intra-logistics specialist LOSYCO based in Bielefeld, Germany, has won the next round in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by a competitor. The appellate court has now affirmed the original decision of the Düsseldorf Landgericht, which had dismissed the complaint on 8 March 2018. In its ruling on 4 April 2019, the Düsseldorf Oberlandesgericht concurred that LOSYCO’s LOXrail intra-logistics system does not infringe the German part of the competitor’s patent. The higher-level court has therefore dismissed the appeal and has also ruled to deny further leave to appeal. “The dismissal of the appeal confirms our view that the plaintiff’s claim does not affect our products. We are an innovative company and are therefore committed to respecting others’ intellectual property. We expect them to respect ours likewise,” says Derek P. Clark, managing director at LOSYCO. LOSYCO’s objection against the grant of the plaintiff’s patent was also partly successful: the European Patent Office decided that the patent as written was not legally valid. Only a curtailed version was upheld. “The ruling of the court of second instance will surely mitigate potential customer concerns and give a strong boost to the market for innovative heavy-duty intra-logistics concepts,” says Clark. LOSYCO’s versatile LOXrail system allows for economical transport of heavy and bulky machines and assemblies. Installed in many production facilities in Germany and other countries, the rail system enables loads weighing several tons to be moved manually. The layout can be flexibly accommodated to any factory floor plan. This enables a conversion to modern, more efficient cycle production in a manufacturing line.
LOSYCO Managing Director Derek P. Clark: “The court ruling strengthens innovation and thus benefits the entire industry.”