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Preservation of evidence and saisie in UPC case law

How the UPC's first-instance divisions and the Court of Appeal decide on orders to preserve evidence (Art. 60 UPCA, R. 192–199 RoP): requirements, orders without hearing the defendant and protective letters, execution by experts, inspection (R. 199), confidentiality and release of the results, their use in the main proceedings and the time limit for starting proceedings on the merits (Art. 60(8) UPCA, R. 198 RoP).

decisions in the dossier
75
of them Court of Appeal
6
steps of the test
8
As of
6 Oct 2026

The steps of the test

The dossier orders the decisions by the steps of the legal test. For each step: the question it is about and the number of decisions addressing it.

  1. 1. Requirements of the order

    What must the applicant show (infringement, validity, risk), and how far does the order reach?

    49 decisions

  2. 2. Without hearing and protective letter

    When does the UPC order preservation of evidence without hearing the defendant, and what role does a protective letter play?

    46 decisions

  3. 3. Execution and experts

    How is the order executed: who is the expert, who may attend, what is described or seized?

    39 decisions

  4. 4. Inspection (R. 199 RoP)

    When does the UPC order the inspection of premises, products or processes, and what applies?

    17 decisions

  5. 5. Confidentiality and release of the results

    Who has access to the report on the preservation of evidence, and when are the results released to the applicant?

    49 decisions

  6. 6. Use in the main proceedings

    May the results of the preservation of evidence be used in the main proceedings or in other proceedings?

    40 decisions

  7. 7. Time limit for main proceedings and revocation

    What applies if proceedings on the merits are not started in time, and when is the order revoked?

    50 decisions

  8. 8. Line of the Court of Appeal

    Which general principles on the preservation of evidence has the Court of Appeal laid down?

    6 decisions

Selected passages

One decision per step – Court of Appeal first, then the most cited, then the newest – with a verbatim quote from the decision. The selection is not a legal assessment.

Step: Requirements of the order

“Au stade de l’examen d’une demande de conservation des preuves et de descente sur les lieux, la Juridiction n’a donc pas à apprécier la validité du brevet litigieux, cette question restant de la seule compétence du juge du fond ou des mesures provisoires“
Court of Appeal, 15 Jul 2025, UPC_CoA_327/2025, para. 43 · On the UPC website (overview)

Step: Without hearing and protective letter

“Rather than being mere clerical errors or details of an insignificant nature, the statements amount to omissions and distorted accounts of material facts which not only might influence the Court in deciding whether to make an order without hearing the defendant; they were of central importance for the Local Division’s …“
Court of Appeal, 16 Mar 2026, UPC_CoA_3/2026, para. 43 · Decision on the UPC website

Step: Execution and experts

“Art. 60 UPCA does not confer on the Court the power to allow a bailiff or expert to question the defendant’s personnel on technical details relating to the defendant’s products or production processes.“
Court of Appeal, 3 Sept 2026, UPC_CoA_113/2026, para. 22 · On the UPC website (overview)

Step: Inspection (R. 199 RoP)

“Jedoch kann eine hinreichende Substantiierung nur über eine Untersuchung des auf der vorgenannten Messe ausgestellten Produktes erfolgen, im Rahmen derer Messungen über Bewegungsabläufe der Maschine und insbesondere zur Rotationsgeschwindigkeit und zum Beschleunigungsverhalten durchgeführt werden.“
LD Düsseldorf, 26 Mar 2025, UPC_CFI_260/2025, para. 5 · Decision on the UPC website

Step: Confidentiality and release of the results

“For the same reasons, the failure to apply for a review of the order for the preservation of evidence or for the inspection of premises, cannot not be considered as a tacit approval of the disclosure of evidence.“
Court of Appeal, 23 Jul 2024, UPC_CoA_177/2024, para. 12 · On the UPC website (overview)

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Quotes are verbatim from the decisions; the version published by the court is authoritative. Not legal advice. Coverage and numbers