Straumann's Patent Infringement Lawsuit Re-Accepted by Court, Karls' Patent Invalidation Request Rejected

Image source: Straumann official WeChat account

DentalGoodNews｜On September 9, 2026, the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court issued a first-instance ruling in the unfair competition dispute filed by Straumann against Beijing Karls Medical Devices Co., Ltd. and Karls (Nanjing) Medical Devices Co., Ltd. (collectively, "Karls"), finding that Karls' use of packaging nearly identical to Straumann's constituted unfair competition. The court ordered Karls to immediately stop the unfair competition conduct and to pay damages to Straumann.

On September 10, 2026, Straumann issued a statement saying that, due to litigation scheduling arrangements, it had withdrawn its earlier patent infringement lawsuit and simultaneously refiled a new patent infringement lawsuit, which was formally accepted by the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court on September 8, 2026, and will continue to proceed in accordance with the law.

In addition, Straumann stated that Karls had previously filed an invalidation request with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) regarding the patent in question. After review, CNIPA issued a decision on July 10, 2026, rejecting Karls' invalidation request and upholding the full validity of the patent.

Regarding the outcome of the first-instance ruling in the unfair competition case, Straumann said it understands and respects the right of all parties under Chinese law to appeal, and that it will continue to protect its rights through legal channels. According to GoodNews' (好的牙) earlier reporting, Straumann had filed two lawsuits with the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court in October 2025 over the aforementioned patent infringement and unfair competition conduct.