ContextVision wins important patent litigation against Sapheneia

The Stockholm District Court has ruled that ContextVision is the real owner of a key patent application filed by Sapheneia in its own name in September 2006. The patent application identifies two former employees of ContextVision as inventors. ContextVision claimed that the invention is the result of work performed by the two inventors during their employment with ContextVision and, consequently, that ContextVision is the owner of the patent application.

The Sapheneia platform “Clarity Server Solution” relates to technology covered by the patent application, which application is now declared by the District Court to be owned by ContextVision.

“Although we had anticipated the outcome, we very much welcome this fair decision and are pleased that the dispute with Sapheneia is now taking this direction. We will now analyze how to proceed in this case” says Anita Tollstadius, CEO, ContextVision.

Background

In 2006 five employees left ContextVision and set up a new company, Sapheneia Commercial Products AB (SCP), together with two American citizens who had been engaged as consultants by ContextVision. Immediately after having left ContextVision, SCP started its business that directly competes with ContextVision.

In September 2006, SCP filed a patent application which identified two of ContextVision’s former employees as inventors.

In 2008 ContextVision initiated legal proceedings against SCP at the Stockholm District Court requesting a declaratory judgment to the effect that ContextVision is the owner of the patent application.

The main hearing was held in Stockholm, May 27 – 30. On July 12 the Stockholm District Court ruled in favor of ContextVision and declared that ContextVision is the real owner of the patent application and that SCP is to pay the legal costs of ContextVision amounting to TSEK 2,940.

The full judgment from the Stockholm District Court can be found (in Swedish) on ContextVision web site www.contextvision.se