STOCKHOLM—A regional court in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm ruled on March 14 that the maker of Lelo pleasure devices did not infringe on the intellectual property rights of competitor Satisfyer in an ongoing, multijurisdictional patent dispute between the firms.
The court in this case found that a European patent held by EIS, the parent company and maker of Satisfyer products, was invalid within Sweden. Thus, the court granted Lelo the ability to sell its suction products without concerns about patent infringement claims.
The patent in question is known as patent EP 3 228 297, which protects several pulsating and suction devices developed by EIS. As AVN has reported during this ongoing litigation, the European courts and the European Patent Office have sided with Satisfyer in litigations that protect their products. For instance, a panel from the European Patent Office confirmed the validity of the Satisfyer patent. EIS is expected to appeal the decision of the Stockholm court, say spokespeople for Lelo and EIS.
“This decision confirms that Lelo’s innovative designs and technologies are distinct and original, upholding the brand’s reputation for pioneering excellence in the intimate wellness industry,” a Lelo spokesperson told AVN.
“Lelo regards the judgment as a strong confirmation that Swedish retailers, distributors, and partners can comfortably sell the aforementioned LELO products throughout the Swedish territory.”
A spokesperson for Satisfyer disagreed via a statement shared with AVN.
“This is merely a first-instance ruling,” said the spokesperson. “We strongly disagree with the decision and will pursue all legal options in the appeal stage.
“This Swedish ruling does not change our global position, and we remain fully committed to protecting our innovations and ensuring fair competition in the market.”
Satisfyer’s wins in this dispute include one from a German court in 2024 that ruled Lelo’s parent company had “misled the public.” A district court in Düsseldorf ruled over the summer that Lelo’s Sona, Sila, and Enigma clitoral vibrators violated the EIS patents used in Satisfyer’s line of pressure wave vibrators, per AVN’s previous coverage on this case.
During preliminary injunction proceedings in Hildesheim, the district court ruled in favor of EIS in the claim that Lelo “included incorrect and misleading statements” about the ongoing patent infringement proceeding targeting Lelo product lines, AVN reported.
After the Düsseldorf court ruled in favor of EIS, Lelo’s European operation reportedly published a press release that mischaracterized the status of the case. Lelo has since appealed.
Such a ruling builds on an additional determination reached in 2022 by the European Patent Office. Lelo Europe filed an opposition to the EIS patent, but the Patent Office rejected the filing.
This gives a strong legal grounding against Lelo in other cases pending in other countries, argues Satisfyer’s parent company. EIS says that Lelo is prohibited from selling its products in the jurisdiction where Lelo was found infringing on the patents.
Litigation is pending elsewhere.
