iCAT and BluePort Legal launch UPC battle against dental tech giant Dentsply

On 1 June, iCAT filed a claim against Dentsply Sirona with the Mannheim local division (case ID: UPC-CFI-0001938/2026). The case concerns iCAT’s EP 1808129, which covers cross-sectional information detection.

The software is used to plan dental implants for patients. The patent expired last year. iCAT is therefore only seeking damages from Dentsply Sirona for past use of the technology. Claims for disclosure and accounting are also likely to be involved.

iCAT Corporation is a Japanese medical technology company specialising in systems and software for dentistry. The company is headquartered in Osaka.

Most recently, EP 129 was still valid in Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. A panel chaired by presiding judge Peter Tochtermann will hear the case. The panel also includes Dirk Böttcher and Thomas Adocker. The latter was formerly a Taylor Wessing partner in Austria and only joined the central division in Munich at the start of the year.

Parallel case in Japan

In Japan, the two companies have been in dispute for some time over the infringement of the technology. A Japanese court had upheld the relevant Japanese patent. According to reports, this dispute also concerns damages.

Dentsply Sirona was formed in February 2016 through the merger of Dentsply International and Sirona Dental Systems. According to Wikipedia, the company is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of dental products and technology and is listed on the US stock exchange Nasdaq. Total turnover in 2025 stood at around $3.6 billion. In the UPC proceedings, Dentsply Sirona now has the option, as in Japan, to bring a counterclaim for revocation against EP 129.

This is already the second dental technology case to go before the UPC. Last month, Align Technology suffered a setback when Düsseldorf local division dismissed an application for provisional measures against a competitor.

A growing market

According to the court’s statistics, cases involving medical technology — which includes dental technology — have long constituted the second-largest group after cases relating to mobile communications. JUVE Patent also recently noted an increase in cases concerning dental technology in Europe.

In March, Chinese prosthesis manufacturer Huliang Bio-Tech prevailed against Ivoclar at Düsseldorf Regional Court. In August 2025, Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court confirmed a final victory for NSK Nakanishi against EMS Dental in a dispute over prophylaxis devices.

The dental market is worth billions, particularly in ageing societies such as Europe and Japan. In Germany, the dental industry generated turnover of over €6 billion in 2024, whilst in Italy the figure was recently €4 billion. In Japan, manufacturers’ turnover is on a par with that in Germany. These figures do not include services provided by dentists.

Whilst turnover in Europe has lately stagnated due to the difficult economic situation, industry associations predict rising demand will lead to significant growth in turnover in the future.

BluePort Legal makes its UPC debut

Frankfurt-based law firm BluePort Legal filed the claim at the UPC on behalf of iCAT. The firm was only established in 2025 as a spin-off from Klinkert IP. Partner Nora Keßler is leading the team, which also includes Christoph Palzer and Catinca Vidan. This is Keßler’s first case before the UPC.

It is also Keßler’s first case for iCAT. The client was referred to her from Japan. Patent attorneys Robin Keulertz and Karsten Rachow are involved in the case. UK firm D Young & Co. originally filed the patent.

Dentsply is relying on a London-based team from Venner Shipley to defend against the claim. London-based partner Peter Thorniley is in charge. He is a European patent attorney and a qualified UPC representative. The firm has a long-standing relationship with Dentsply Sirona, providing patent prosecution and IP-related advice. The legal team also includes head of litigation Geoff Hussey, client relationship manager Simon Taor, and Henry Aldridge.