Fire Out - Patent Dispute Over Fire Protection Technology Settled

In a substantial patent dispute over fire protection technology, Cologne-based FOGTEC Brandschutz GmbH & Co. KG (www.fogtec.de) and Finnish Marioff Corporation Oy (www.marioff.com) agreed on an out-of-court settlement on November 17, 2008. The parties thereby resolved four patent infringement disputes before Regional Court and Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf as well as three patent nullity proceedings before the German Federal Patents Court. FOGTEC was granted a worldwide license in three of the four involved Marioff patents.

Subject matter of the proceedings were particular fire fighting systems of the Cologne-based company which are based on an innovative high-pressure water mist technology. With this technology, water is atomized at high pressure allowing it to fight fires with very small amounts of water as opposed to conventional sprinkler systems. This extremely effective technology is used among others in tunnels and in rail vehicles.

FOGTEC Brandschutz GmbH & Co. KG was represented by Dr. Anton Horn, Partner and Melanie Künzel, LL.M., Associate (both Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, Düsseldorf) as well as by Philipe Walter, Patent Attorney, COHAUSZ & FLORACK.