This follows Ocado’s agreement yesterday to a stay of the second of its claims in the Mannheim District Court for an order blocking the sale of AutoStore’s B1 robot in Germany.
Ocado brought four actions in total against AutoStore in Germany – two in the Munich District Court and two in the Mannheim District Court – seeking to assert two Ocado utility models. Those actions have been stayed as follows:
The Munich District Court issued a stay order on 27th January 2022 in relation to both Ocado’s actions in that Court.
The Mannheim District Court issued a stay order in relation to one of Ocado’s claims on 28th January 2022.
Ocado has now agreed to a stay on the other action in the Mannheim District Court.
Ocado’s actions in Germany were a tactical response to the legal cases AutoStore launched against it for patent infringement in 2020.
AutoStore has consistently maintained that the Ocado utility models in Germany are invalid, and we commenced proceedings last year in the GPO to invalidate them. We are pursuing those invalidity challenges robustly and we are confident that we will prevail.
AutoStore continues to invest in industry-leading technology innovations to help our customers automate their warehouse operations and drive efficiency.
Earlier this month, AutoStore released the new AutoStore R5+ robot technology that solves customers’ needs more efficiently and is being rolled out across our worldwide customer base, including in Germany. The newest addition to the AutoStore Robot fleet will enable warehouses to manage larger items, thanks to the R5+’s ability to handle Bins up to 425 mm, the tallest Bins available in the AutoStore system.
All other AutoStore actions continue as before, including the infringement action launched in October 2020 in the UK and currently before the High Court.
None of these legal developments affects the operations or success of our growing global business. As the pioneer of cube storage automation, we have secured hundreds of patents since our founding.
As demonstrated by the launch of the R5+ robot, AutoStore continues to develop the next generation of robots and solutions to remain the technology leader in this space. AutoStore now has more than 770 systems in 40 countries, is represented in a variety of industries, and continues to grow its business worldwide.
See here for further details of AutoStore’s launch of the R5+ robot:
https://www.autostoresystem.com/news/autostore-unveils-r5-robot-expanding-its-bin- handling-capabilities-to-meet-the-needs-of-rapidly-evolving-warehouses
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For additional information, please contact:
AutoStore Investor Relations:
Bent M. Skisaker, Chief Financial Officer +47 46 82 16 93 bent.skisaker@autostoresystem.com
AutoStore Norwegian media: Geir Bjørlo
+47 91 54 00 00 geir.bjorlo@corpcom.no
AutoStore International media: Emma Schultz (USA)
+1 646 644 8095 AutoStore@brunswickgroup.com
Tim Danaher (UK)
+44 7515 916 216 AutoStore@brunswickgroup.com
About AutoStore
AutoStore is an innovative robotic and software technology company, and a pioneer of cubic storage automation. The group operates in the rapidly growing warehouse automation industry, and in the even faster growing cube storage segment. AutoStore develops warehouse solutions for the future and helps its customers to enable space saving and increase performance, while reducing labor and energy costs. For more information about AutoStore, see www.autostoresystem.com.
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