MLL Legal with COOP on appeal in EPO opposition proceedings
MLL Legal’s patent team successfully represented the Swiss retailer COOP on appeal in EPO opposition proceedings against Katjes’ vegan chocolate patent at the European Patent Office, leading to full revoke of the patent in question.
The context
Katjes successfully enforced the patent, which covered a vegan chocolate with hydrolysed oat flour, against Lindt in Germany. Moreover, the Opposition Division eventually uphold the IP right in object.
During the oral proceedings on 18 March 2025, the Board of Appeal overturned the first instance decision and proceeded to fully revoke Katjes’ patent due to lack of inventive step.
The MLL Legal team
The MLL Legal team working on the matter included European patent attorney Ulrike Ciesla (pictured left), and Michael Ritscher (pictured right), head of the firm’s intellectual property team.
