Against the background of a major order for 120,000 assault rifles, the two arms manufacturers Heckler & Koch and CGHaenel will meet in court on Tuesday (9.15 a.m.).
Heckler & Koch accuses the significantly smaller competitor from Thuringia of patent infringements in the proceedings before the Düsseldorf Regional Court.
It's about three holes in the rifle, which should enable a rapid drainage of water and a quick readiness to fire when soldiers wade through a river or land on the seashore - this is what the industry calls "over the beach".
Düsseldorf - Heckler & Koch has a patent for this.
Haenel considers the patent null and void and has filed a separate lawsuit before the Federal Patent Court in Munich.
Now the Düsseldorf court is faced with the question of whether it is waiting for the Munich judgment to make its own decision - then the proceedings at the regional court would be suspended and dragged on, as Munich may not decide until 2023.
The other possibility is that the Düsseldorf judges are already ready for their own judgment on the basis of expert opinions.
That would probably not come on Tuesday, but in the next few weeks or months.
dpa