Munich Regional Court extends Infineon’s winning streak against Innoscience

The 21st Civil Chamber of Munich Regional Court, under new presiding judge Hubertus Schacht, has found that gallium nitride (GaN) products offered by Innoscience and its European distributors CODICO and MEV Elektronik Service infringe Infineon’s German patent DE 10 2017 100 947. The patent covers a lateral compound semiconductor transistor device.

On 17 June, the panel, which also comprised judges Sebastian Benz and Julia Obermeier, ordered the defendants to cease offering and distributing the infringing products in Germany, to provide detailed information and render accounts, and found them liable for damages.

The judgments target Innoscience (Suzhou) Technology, Innoscience (Shenzhen) Semiconductor, Innoscience (Zhuhai) Technology and Innoscience Europe (case ID: 21 O 13131/24), as well as the two independent distributors CODICO (case ID: 21 O 6443/24) and MEV Elektronik Service (case ID: 21 O 6511/24). The rulings are enforceable against security.

The dispute concerns GaN semiconductor components; in the case of Innoscience, this relates to older models.

In the proceedings, Innoscience had argued non-infringement and sought a stay pending the outcome of opposition appeal proceedings against the patent-in-suit. The chamber rejected these. It is likely that Innoscience will appeal in both cases.

An appeal against the patent is currently pending before the Federal Patent Court. At first instance, the patent was upheld in a limited form. An application for cancellation of the utility model is pending with the DPMA.

The following day, following a two-day hearing, the chamber also found in Infineon’s favour in parallel proceedings concerning the related German utility model DE 20 2017 007 691. These proceedings had originally been joined with the patent case but the court later separated them.

Broader campaign

The rulings form part of a wider patent enforcement campaign by Infineon against the Chinese chip manufacturer. In June 2024, Infineon filed infringement suits at Munich Regional Court based on three patents and later expanded the action to include the related utility model. Infineon is also pursuing Innoscience before the District Court of the Northern District of California on the basis of a US patent.

Munich Regional Court under presiding judge judge Georg Werner at the time had already handed down a first-instance ruling for Infineon in August 2025, finding that Innoscience’s GaN products infringe Infineon’s German patent DE 10 2014 113 465 (case ID: 21 O 13132/24). An appeal in that case is pending before the Munich Higher Regional Court. The grounds for the latest judgments have not yet been issued.

Strategic stakes in GaN

Gallium nitride is a key semiconductor material for high-performance and energy-efficient power systems. GaN-based chips are particularly valued in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, data centres and industrial automation, as they enable lighter components compared to conventional silicon semiconductors.

Infineon holds approximately 450 GaN patent families. The German semiconductor manufacturer significantly strengthened its position in the sector by acquiring Canadian company GaN Systems for $830 million in 2023. Innoscience, meanwhile, describes itself as the world’s largest supplier of GaN wafers used in chip manufacturing.

Ampersand and Szynka Smorodin for Infineon

Infineon Technologies Austria relied on a team from Munich IP firm Ampersand led by partner and litigator Stefan Eck. Senior associate Maximilian Reif provided support. Eck and Reif previously handled Infineon’s first-instance victory against Innoscience in August 2025 while still at IP boutique Klaka. Following their move to Ampersand, they are continuing to handle these cases. In other cases for Infineon, Constantin Kurz – who has since moved from Klaka to CMS, in the lead.

Klaka dissolved in 2026 when the partners went their separate ways. Thomas Mayer managed the dispute for Infineon in-house.

Patent attorney Dirk Szynka of Szynka Smorodin handled the technical side of the current case and is also leading the parallel opposition appeal proceedings against DE 947 and the cancellation proceedings against DE 691, with Eck as contributing lawyer.

Szynka was formerly name partner at König Szynka Tilmann von Renesse, but the firm dissolved in early 2025 when the Düsseldorf office joined Hoffmann Eitle. Syznka continued to run the Munich office under the name Szynka Smorodin.

Innoscience relies on Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner, with the German team led by Jochen Herr, working alongside Moritz Meckel, Johannes Druschel, Daniel Seitz, Yannick Schütt, Robert Los, and Maximilian Speckbacher, as well as Filip Wach from the London office.

The US firm is handling all proceedings before the German courts as well as the defence against Infineon’s US lawsuit. US partner Lionel Lavenue leads the international team. (Co-author: Christina Schulz)