UPC Ruling: Angelalign Does Not Infringe Align Technology's Aligner Patent

On May 12, 2026, the Unified Patent Court (UPC), German Local Division Düsseldorf, issued a ruling dismissing Align Technology's application for a preliminary injunction against Angelalign's A7 premolar extraction solution. The court determined that Angelalign did not infringe the patent asserted by Align Technology, and the normal operation of Angelalign's A7 solution in the European market remains unaffected.

Angelalign established its first operating entity, "Beijing Angelalign," in Beijing in 2003 and was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2021, known as "China's First Smile Stock." The company provides digital tooth straightening solutions covering multiple stages from treatment design to aligner manufacturing.

Align Technology was founded in the United States in 1997 and is the global pioneer of invisible orthodontic technology. Its core product is the world-renowned "Invisalign" system, and it promotes the development of digital dentistry through devices such as the iTero intraoral scanner.

The patent in issue in this case is EP 4295806 B1, the core claim of which relates to a method for designing an orthodontic appliance, emphasizing that the relevant technical features must be satisfied at the level of a single aligner. The patent was granted in November 2025, less than six months before this application for a preliminary injunction, making it a relatively recent European patent.

Applying the "balance of probabilities" evidentiary standard for preliminary measures, the Düsseldorf Local Division held after examination that the evidence submitted by Align Technology failed to sufficiently demonstrate that the A7 solution meets the technical features of the patent claim at the level of a single aligner.

The court's order provides a detailed technical comparison analysis. In the A7 solution, the posterior anchorage phase is completed in the early stage of treatment, followed by the anterior retraction phase; these two phases are achieved sequentially by different aligners, rather than simultaneously satisfying all technical features within a single aligner. Based on this comparison, the court concluded that Angelalign's product technology solution does not fall within the scope of protection of the asserted patent claim.

Furthermore, the court explicitly emphasized the boundaries of claim interpretation: all features of claim 1 must be realized in a single aligner, and the interpretation of a claim shall be neither confined solely to the literal meaning nor arbitrarily extended to the entire content described in the patent specification. This standard of interpretation had a decisive impact on the outcome of this case.

This case is the third patent litigation initiated by Align Technology against Angelalign in Europe since August 2025, with the dispute focusing on Angelalign's A7 straightening solution. The present ruling is issued at the preliminary injunction stage of first instance, addressing only the question of whether to grant provisional measures; it does not constitute a final judgment on patent validity or the finding of infringement. For further developments, China Intellectual Property Lawyer Net will continue to provide updates.