Vorwerk and Lidl deliver a legal dispute before the commercial court in Barcelona.
It's about the popular Thermomix kitchen appliance - and a claim for damage.
Lidl * and
Vorwerk
ran a legal dispute in a court in Barcelona (
Spain
).
It's about the
Thermomix
kitchen machine
.
Vorwerk accuses
Lidl of
a patent infringement.
Barcelona - The German companies Lidl and Vorwerk are fighting a
legal battle
in Spain
.
It is about an alleged
patent infringement
.
The subject of the negotiations is the Thermomix kitchen appliance.
The accusation: Lidl illegally sold the device under the name "Monsieur Cuisine Connect" - and that much cheaper than the competition.
At
Vorwerk
, the
Thermomix
costs
around 1000 euros.
At
Lidl
only 360 euros.
The oral hearing in the
plagiarism process
before the commercial court in
Barcelona
began on Tuesday (November 10th, 2020).
Thermomix copied?
Lidl denies all allegations in court in Spain
According to the will of the plaintiff's lawyers,
Lidl
is now to
deliver
ten percent of the profit to
Vorwerk
.
The supermarket chain refuses, however, and claims that it has not
infringed
any
patent rights
.
The world's second largest retail chain is silent about how many devices were sold.
Lidl a un solo paso de una condena por posible plagio en los tribunales https://t.co/Xyz8AJOTcE #Thermomix #Vorwerk #lidl #monsieurCuisine Connect
- Digital de León (@Digitaldeleon) November 10, 2020
The Spanish news portal “Digital de León” writes on Twitter about the legal dispute between Lidl and Vorwerk: “Lidl faces a court penalty for plagiarism violation”.
Lidl and Vorwerk: legal dispute over Thermomix
Experts from both sides negotiate
individual details
before the Spanish
court
.
Because: A food processor that cooks itself is no longer under patent protection.
The lawyers from
Lidl
and
Vorwerk are
arguing about the
knife
factory
, among other things
.
This can be switched off by consumers when the cover is opened.
Another controversial detail is the
scale
built into
the
Thermomix
.
It shows the weight of the
food
at
all times
.
New ingredients can be added with great precision.
Thermomix lawsuit: Lidl demands the cancellation of Vorwerk patents
"Something as simple as weighing while
cooking
seemed impossible for a long time," the
Vorwerk representative
explained in
court
, reports taz.de.
Lidl
contradicts: This function is also available on other machines.
The
Thermomix
is lacking “something new and inventive step”, explains
Lidl
and demands that the court annul the Vorwerk patents of version 6.
The verdict is expected in a few weeks.
It is unclear whether
Lidl will
lose or win the lawsuit.
(Jan-Frederik Wendt)
* hna.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
