HUnGARY
Michael Lantos
Danubia Patent and Law Offi ce
UtILItY MoDEL
InfRInGEMEnt
PRoCEEDInGs
A recent decision of Hungary’s Supreme Court in a utility model infringement
first instance court proceeding
proceeding has shed light on a number of important issues, including the
Th e fi rst instance court (Metropolitan Court of Budapest) examined whether
interpretation of claimed characteristics, the doctrine of equivalents and the
all of the claimed characteristics can be found in the alleged POS terminal or
procedural limitations of submitting evidence.
whether one or more of the characteristics were replaced by equivalents. In
Th e case is fairly simple to understand, and the position of the courts is
this examination, the court called a neutral expert and decided based on the
clear. It has implications for other patent and utility model infringement
arguments of both parties and the expert opinion.
lawsuits in Hungary, and illustrates how one should defi ne the function of an
Th e fi rst instance court rejected the plaintiff ’s claims and established that
invention and deal with situations where techniques are changing rapidly.
characteristics A, B and H were not present in the POS terminal.
Claim one of the utility model Regarding feature A: the court established that the apparatus cannot
Th e case involves a portable apparatus (A) for performing business and
be regarded as portable, as in order to perform the task as defi ned in
fi nancial transactions to complete personal payment, accounting and
characteristic B, an active telephone or data connection has to be established
recording tasks (B). It comprises a housing and an electronic unit (C),
between the POS terminal and the bank’s data processing centre. Th e
and a device that enables the exchange of data with a computer-based
physical mobility of the POS terminal does not make it portable, since the
banking system (D). Th is contains a microcontroller and data memory
function can be performed only when the terminal is actually connected
coupled to the microcontroller (E). At one side of the housing, a magnetic
with the centre. In certain uses, the POS terminal can function in two steps,
card is coupled to the apparatus (F), which is electronically connected to
just collecting data initially, but when the actual operation is carried out, it
the microcontroller (G). Opposite the magnetic card is a connector for a
must be connected to the central system. Portability can only be interpreted
magnetic card writer/reader (H), which is also electronically coupled to
in the context of how the apparatus can perform its intended function and
the microcontroller (I). not in its literal sense.
Th e plaintiff initiated a utility model infringement proceeding against three Regarding feature B: the specifi cation of the utility model disclosed that
defendants for the unauthorised use of the subject utility model in a point the apparatus can carry out fi nancial and similar transactions between two
of sale (POS) terminal. Th e fi rst and second order defendants committed cardholders or between a cardholder and a sales location directly, i.e. without
infringement by purchasing and selling these POS terminals to banks, which the direct involvement of the central system of the bank. Th e examined POS
used them to process their customers’ banking tasks (mostly payments) terminal is unable to carry out such independent tasks. For transactions
using their banking cards. undertaken using this POS terminal, the central bank system processes and
86 World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 www.worldipreview.com
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