2024-07-31 - LD The Hague - Amycel v. Anonymisiert (vertr. Michal PRZYLUSKI) - UPC_CFI_195/2024
- Aktenzeichen:
- UPC_CFI_195/2024
- Datum:
- Spruchkörper:
- Court of First Instance - The Hague (NL) Local Division
- Art:
- Proceeding Decision
- Parteien:
- Amycel LLC v. ***
Kernaussage: Application for provisional measures.
2024-07-31 - LD The Hague - Amycel
v.
Anonymisiert (vertr. Michal PRZYLUSKI) - UPC_CFI_195/2024
Application for provisional measures. Mushroom strain is not considered to be excluded from patentability (Article 53(b) EPC. Infringement. Measures granted.
landmark
The The Hague LD granted provisional measures in Amycel's PI action concerning EP 1 993 350 B2 (mushroom strain BR06 / Heirloom) against a Polish mushroom farmer selling the 'Cayene' strain into UPC territory. The panel — including a TQJ — rejected the defendant's challenge under Art. 53(b) EPC: mushrooms fall within the fungi kingdom, taxonomically distinct from plants and animals, and the strict interpretation of the exclusion (affirmed by EPO EBA G 2/12 'Tomatoes II') combined with the EPO legislative record (CA/56/17, para. 64) confirms that fungi and yeasts are not covered. On novelty, the Court found all three asserted attacks (Barnakalapu BKU-100, SP-B1, AA-0096/ARP23) factually unsubstantiated. On infringement — where both parties agreed genetic identity was the test — the Court accepted AFLP and WGS analyses showing Cayene and BR06 within the technical-replicate similarity range (~99.88%) as sufficient to establish genetic identity within experimental error. The Court rejected the unreasonable-delay defence, holding that Amycel had acted diligently by preparing fresh genetic and morphological evidence after becoming aware of UPC-territory sales in late July 2023. Granted measures include an injunction (penalty up to EUR 50,000/day), delivery-up, an information order (penalty up to EUR 5,000/day), and an interim cost award of EUR 11,000 (court fees only); enforcement is conditional on Amycel lodging EUR 200,000 security under R. 211.5 RoP.
Stichwörter
Provisional measures., Infringement., Patentability of mushroom strain.
Nichtigkeitsgründe
vorläufig ·Art. 138 EPCNovelty
Preliminarily survivedArt. 54 EPC · Art. 138(1)(a) EPC
“Defendant's novelty challenges based on Hungarian Barnakalapu BKU-100 (allegedly identical to BR06 and pre-2005), SP-B1, and wild strain AA-0096/ARP23 all rejected as unsubstantiated — no concrete genetic evidence of identity or prior public availability.”
Non-patentable Subject Matter
Preliminarily survivedArt. 52(2) EPC · Art. 138(1)(a) EPC
“Art. 53(b) EPC exclusion does not cover mushroom strains: fungi are taxonomically distinct from plants and animals; the restrictive interpretation of the exclusion (G 2/12 Tomatoes II) and the EPO Administrative Council legislative record (CA/56/17, para. 64) confirm that fungi/yeasts fall outside the exclusion.”