Avery Dennison has filed a lawsuit in Germany against UPM Raflatac asserting that Raflex MDO infringes European Patent Number 2 049 333 B1, Avery Dennison’s patent on its Global MDOTM pressure-sensitive film product. In the suit, Avery Dennison asks the German court to prevent UPM Raflatac from manufacturing, marketing, or selling Raflex MDO without a license. Global MDO is protected under patents granted in both Europe and China, and has patent applications pending in the US and Brazil.
“Avery Dennison respects the intellectual property rights of other companies and individuals and expects others to do the same,” said Jeroen Diderich, vice president, global marketing, Avery Dennison Materials Group. “We attempted to negotiate a license agreement with UPM Raflatac in the hope of avoiding litigation while allowing their continued supply of this product. Unfortunately, that effort was unsuccessful.”
UPM Raflatac has stated that it is aware of the claim and disputes that any infringement has occurred. In a press release, the company states that it has been developing a number of products within the MDO film technology field that have resulted in several new inventions, including Raflex MDO, that are protected globally through patenting. The company says that it has sought mutual understanding in this claim to no avail, and is committed to protecting itself while continuing to manufacture and supply Raflex MDO.
Avery Dennison
UPM Raflatac
