Electric connecting terminals are frequently used to connect LED lighting units to electrical wiring. This requires secure electrical contacting to be established as quickly and easily as possible, regardless of whether the LED lighting units are connected by means of rigid or fine-wired connecting cables. The electric connecting terminals can also be easily applied to the surface of the circuit board in an automated manner by means of "pick and place" systems using SMD soldering technology. For these purposes, WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH owns a number of German and foreign patents protecting different technologies for electric connecting terminals produced by the WAGO corporate group.
In an extensive set of patent litigation cases involving WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH and Molex Deutschland GmbH, BARDEHLE PAGENBERG won an important victory on behalf of WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH on May 23, 2019 in preliminary injunction proceedings before the Regional Court of Munich I following a hearing lasting several hours. The Regional Court of Munich I held that Molex Deutschland GmbH had infringed the German part of the European patent EP 3 159 974 B1, which is owned by WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH.
Consequently, MOLEX Deutschland GmbH is prohibited from offering, marketing and/or using its "Lite-Trap" PCB terminal blocks and/or importing and/or possessing them for the aforementioned purposes in the Federal Republic of Germany, as soon as the preliminary injunction obtained by WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH is enforced, subject to provision of security. The time limit on enforcement is June 24, 2019. MOLEX Deutschland GmbH may lodge an appeal against the judgment.
Representatives of WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft
mbH: BARDEHLE PAGENBERG (Munich)
Nadine Heiartz (Attorney-at-Law, Partner)
Prof. Dr. Tilman Müller-Stoy
(Attorney-at-Law, Partner)
Johannes Lang (Patent attorney, Partner)
Dr. Stefan Lieck (Attorney-at-Law,
Partner)
Alexander Wunsch (Patent attorney,
Counsel)
Vera Mogk (Attorney-at-Law, Associate)
Sebastian Horlemann (Attorney-at-Law,
Associate)
Anita Peter (Attorney-at-Law, Associate)
Representatives of Molex Deutschland
GmbH: Hogan Lovells (Munich,
Düsseldorf)
Dr. Steffen Steininger (Attorney-at-Law, Partner)
Dr.-Ing. Martin Fähndrich (Attorney-at-Law and Patent
Assessor, Partner)
Dr. Teresa Christof (Attorney-at-Law, Associate)
Carl-Alexander Dinges (Attorney-at-Law, Associate)
Verena Dormann (Attorney-at-Law, Associate)
Regional Court of Munich I, 7th Civil Chamber
Dr. Zigann (Presiding Judge at the Regional Court)
Dr. Fricke (Judge at the Regional Court)
Dr. Werner (Judge at the Regional Court)