
UPC Court of Appeal UPC_CoA_219/2024 APL_25923/2024 App_34190/2024
ORDER
of the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court issued on 17 June 2024
concerning a request to be allowed to lodge additional written pleadings
HEADNOTES:
In accordance with R.239.1 RoP, Rules 101-110 RoP (on the interim procedure) apply mutatis mutandis to the appeal proceedings. In view thereof, Rules 35 and 36 RoP must be held to be applicable mutatis mutandis in the appeal proceedings as well.
KEYWORDS:
Lodging additional written pleadings, R.36 RoP
APPLICANT / APPELLANT / DEFENDANT IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE:
Audi AG , Ingolstadt, Germany hereinafter also referred to as: Audi ' '
represented by: Dr. Jan Bösing, Rechtsanwalt, Bardehle Pagenberg, Munich, Germany
RESPONDENT / CLAIMANT IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
Network System Technologies LLC. , Portland, ME, Unites States of America hereinafter also referred to as NST , ' '
represented by: Dr Thomas Gniadek, Simmons&Simmons, Munich, Germany
LANGUAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS:
English
PATENT AT ISSUE
EP 1 552 399
PANEL
Second Panel
DECIDING JUDGE:
IMPUGNED ORDERS OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
- □ Date: 23 April 2024 (signed 25 April 2024); ORD_17417/2024 in related proceedings (requests for security for costs) App_11456/2024, App_11454/2024 and App_11732/2024 in the main infringement action ACT_597693/2023)
- □ Action number attributed by the Court of First Instance Local Division Munich): UPC_CFI_515/2023
SUMMARY OF FACTS
On 1 March 2024 Audi filed an application under Art. 69.4 UPCA and R.158.1 RoP (App. 11456/2024), requesting the Court to order NST to provide adequate security for legal costs and other expenses incurred by Audi. The Court of First Instance denied the Application. Leave to appeal was granted in the Order.
INDICATION OF PARTIES REQUESTS '
In the appeal proceedings (APL_25923/2024), Audi requests that the impugned order shall be set aside. It argues that the Court of First Instance applied legally erroneous standards of examination and of burden of proof for the decision on the provision of security for costs. The Court of First Instance furthermore misapplied the undisputed facts of the case at hand, Audi contends.
NST lodged its Statement of response on 31 May 2024, requesting (in short) to reject the appeal.
In the application dated 10 June 2024, Audi responded to NST´s Statement of response and requests the Court of Appeal pursuant to R.9.3 RoP to allow this response, in order to correct certain facts submitted by NST in its Statement of response.
POINTS AT ISSUE
Request for lodging additional written pleadings, R.36, R.9.3 (b) RoP
GROUNDS FOR THE ORDER
-
- The request is admissible.
-
- There is no need to consult NST about this request.
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- Pursuant to R.36 RoP, without prejudice to the powers of the judge-rapporteur pursuant to R.110.1 RoP, a party may lodge before the date on which the judge-rapporteur intends to close the written procedure, a reasoned request that further written pleadings may be exchanged.
-
- In accordance with R.239.1 RoP, Rules 101-110 RoP (on the interim procedure) apply mutatis mutandis to the appeal proceedings. In view thereof, Rules 35 and 36 RoP must be held to be applicable mutatis mutandis in the appeal proceedings as well.
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- The application must be understood as a reasoned request under R.36 RoP.
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- The Court of Appeal considers the request by Audi to be sufficiently reasoned. It wants to correct some facts submitted by NST in relation to its behavior in the market, together with written evidence. The Court of Appeal considers that Audi has a sufficient interest to do so and that the written procedure is the most convenient phase to do so. The Court of Appeal therefore allows the request.
-
- NST will be given the opportunity to respond to the additional statement lodged by Audi within 14 days after the day on which this order is issued.
ORDER
The request for filing an addition statement is allowed.
NST may file a response to the additional statement lodged by Audi within 14 days after the day on which this order is issued, i.e. by 1 July 2024.
The written procedure shall be deemed closed after expiry of this time-period.
Issued on 17 June 2024
Rian Kalden, Presiding judge and judge-rapporteur