Chinese prosthesis manufacturer prevails against Ivoclar with Graf von Westphalen
Huliang Bio-Tech from Shanghai may continue to sell its denture blanks for the manufacture of modern dental prostheses in Germany. Düsseldorf Regional Court handed down the ruling at the end of February. The background to the dispute is a campaign by Ivoclar Vivadent against competitors at a dental trade fair last year.
9 March 2026 by Mathieu Klos
Nowadays, dental prostheses are no longer elaborately modelled by dental technicians, but milled in one piece from special blanks. These usually consist of several layers of colour, for example to realistically highlight the gums and teeth. The dispute between Ivoclar Vivadent and its Chinese competitor Huliang Bio-Tech revolves around such flesh- and tooth-coloured blanks.
Ivoclar Vivadent sees itself as an innovator in dental technology and holds numerous patents for a wide variety of dental products. In March 2025, the globally active family-owned company based in Liechtenstein took action against copycat products for denture blanks during the IDS trade fair in Cologne. According to JUVE Patent sources, this affected products of various competitors, primarily from China.
A warning letter, service at the trade fair stand, confiscation and a lawsuit on the merits — the events at IDS 2025 sound like a normal trade fair dispute between a patent holder and alleged imitators. JUVE Patent does not know most of the companies involved. However, Shanghai company Huliang Bio-Tech challenged the warning letter from Ivoclar Vivadent and then the main action at Düsseldorf Regional Court. No further legal action was taken between the two opponents during the trade fair.
Action dismissed
The judges of the 4a Civil Chamber under presiding judge Tilmann Büttner have now come to the conclusion that Huliang Bio-Tech’s product does not infringe Ivoclar’s two patents (case ID: 4a O 11/25). The Liechtenstein-based company had complained that Huliang Bio-Tech was using the technology protected by its EP 3 064 170 and EP 3 597 143. The latter protects a dental prosthesis. EP 170 covers a dental prosthesis blank and method of making a dental prosthesis.
According to the judges, Ivoclar was unable to prove that the blanks exhibited at the trade fair and the products presented in the company’s online shop copied the features of Ivoclar’s patents. The Shanghai-based company may therefore continue to sell its products in Germany. However, Ivoclar can still appeal against the judgment.
Huliang Bio-Tech sees itself as one of the most innovative companies for such dental products in China and is active globally. The patent team of GvW Graf von Westphalen and Olbricht Buchhold Keulertz is advising the Chinese company.
Shanghai connection
The contact came via Graf von Westphalen’s Shanghai office. Partner Nicolas Dumont led the infringement proceedings, with support from senior associate Jonas Wehleit and Olbricht partner and patent attorney Matthias Rathert. Huliang Bio-Tech does not appear to have any European patents of its own.
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- Nicolas Dumont
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- Simon Klopschinski
Splanemann Patentanwälte had originally filed both patents-in-suit for Ivoclar. The company also works with Maiwald and Uexküll & Stolberg on patent prosecution for other product segments. Patent attorneys from the Hamburg law firms also advised on the infringement proceedings against Huliang Bio-Tech.
The two Uexküll partners Alexander Eisenführ and Fabian Müller represented the firm in this dispute alongside Düsseldorf law firm Rospatt. Rospatt partner Simon Klopschinski took the lead in the infringement proceedings, with support from Daria Kravchenko.
