Nestle wins Nespresso capsule patent battle
Nestle has won the backing of the European Patent Office (EPO) in a patent dispute regarding its Nespresso coffee machines and capsules.
Earlier this week, an EPO spokesman confirmed that the ruling body would uphold a patent issued by Nestle, which specified the way Nespresso capsules fit into Nespresso coffee machines. Nespresso had, in 2010, sued rival companies – including Tassimo (owned by Kraft Foods) and Senseo (owned by Sara Lee) – for patent infringement.
EPO representative Rainer Osterwalder said: “The patent may stand but in an amended form. The essential part of the invention has not been touched by the limitations.”
The full ruling will be made public next week, but Nestle will breathe a little easier after a suit that has dragged on for a couple of years now. Nestle is the world’s biggest coffee manufacturer and has seen sales grow steadily over the last few years.
Written by Matthias Scherer
Matthias is a journalist and writer covering the latest news in technology as well as reviewing new computer products for PC Site. After studying journalism and economics in London, Matthias worked in radio and as a music writer for various publications in the UK and Germany, covering everything from politics and music to online publishing and social media. He is a self-diagnosed internet addict, but wrestles himself away from the computer to read books by angry young men, put on punk or rap records and watch Seinfeld.
Fri, Apr 27, 2012