Wanner wins patent case in China with second in pipeline
12 Oct 2022
Court in China have upheld a claim by Wanner International against local firm Shanghai Nikuni for infringing its pump patent.
The complaint related to “innovative features” in Wanner’s Hydra-Cell seal-less diaphragm pumps, affecting one of 11 patents it operates in China.
Attempts by Shanghai Nikuni to file invalidation proceedings with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) were rejected by the authorities, as was a subsequent appeal.
Wanner asserted that the Chinese firm had produced poor quality counterfeit copies of its pumps, which are marketed on their low energy consumption and ability to cope with difficult process liquids over a 20 year lifecycle, to provide lower total cost of ownership.
CEO Bill Wanner (pictured) said: “[We] want to continue delivering the most technological advanced pumps in the world and the only way to do that is by investing heavily in R&D. And the only way we can keep doing that is by ensuring that we protect this investment from illegal counterfeiting.”
The company added that it was essential to combat all third party infringement during “a critical time for the global economy” and for Wanner to be seen to respond to protect its brands.
During the proceedings Wanner was represented by Chinese counsel with the litigation managed by its US patent counsel Merchant & Gould.
Wanner won a second infringement case and invalidation action in the CNIPA against a second alleged counterfeiter. The matter is currently subject to an appeals process.
Wanner Pumps Hong Kong representative Joseph Loo added: “With strong protection from the Chinese courts, we will continue to protect our IP and ensure that our customers gain the range of benefits from our pumps to help improve their processes.”
