科沃斯“闪击”石头科技，反转成“乌龙大案”

Core Viewpoint - The European Unified Patent Court (UPC) ruled that Ecovacs' request for an ex-parte order against Roborock during the IFA event was unlawful and subsequently revoked the order, highlighting the misuse of the UPC's emergency protection mechanism [1][4][13]. Group 1: Event Background - Ecovacs and Roborock are prominent domestic vacuum cleaner companies that have gained significant market share in Europe in recent years [4]. - During the IFA 2025, Ecovacs claimed that Roborock infringed its EP3808512 patent and sought evidence preservation from the UPC [10]. - The UPC is a supranational court established to address patent litigation across EU member states, providing jurisdiction that surpasses national courts [4]. Group 2: Legal Mechanism - An ex-parte order allows the court to issue orders without hearing the defendant's side, aimed at protecting urgent patent infringement cases [6][7]. - The UPC's emergency measures are designed to prevent the loss of critical evidence that may occur if immediate action is not taken [8][9]. Group 3: Court's Ruling - The UPC determined that Ecovacs' application for the ex-parte order was based on misleading and incomplete factual statements, violating the UPC's procedural rules [15][18]. - The court emphasized that if the facts had been fully disclosed, the ex-parte order would not have been issued, indicating a lack of urgency in the case [19][20]. Group 4: Principles of Ex-Parte Orders - The UPC operates under four key principles for issuing ex-parte orders: truthful representation, urgency, necessity, and proportionality [21][28]. - Ecovacs failed to demonstrate urgency as Roborock's products were already available for purchase on platforms like Amazon, undermining the claim of immediate need for evidence preservation [25][26]. Group 5: Industry Implications - The incident reflects the competitive nature of the cleaning appliance industry, where companies may leverage patent disputes to gain market advantages [35][40]. - The outcome of patent disputes can significantly impact market access, as seen when Roborock successfully sought a sales ban on Ecovacs' products in Germany [40].