Found to be in breach of unfair competition law, a distributor of cattle care products in Baden-Württemberg agreed to a ‘judgement by acknowledgement’ at Cologne District Court for selling imitations of the patented Quadro static mixing tips, owned by medmix, type MFQ.
As well as agreeing to cease the infringement and provide information regarding the source of the counterfeits, this distributor will introduce high quality, genuine Quadro mixing tips as part of its range.
“This is a landmark ruling against counterfeiters of our patented mixing tips for industrial sealants and adhesives,” said Hans-Peter Brack, head of IP management at medmix group. “We are totally committed to defending our rights and removing inferior counterfeit products from the market. We actively support distributors to supply only genuine Quadro products, ensuring that users receive the safest and most effective solution.”
Static mixing tips are used in two-component adhesives and sealant applications. In the case of the Quadro MFQ mixing tip, both material components of a cartridge are mixed by the specific inlet structure of the tip. Typically, this tip has always been designed with a unique and distinctive visual appearance in green with a white interface to be mounted on the cartridge. Mixing tips require regular replacement, and cheap counterfeits are often available on e-commerce websites. However, inferior tips can offer poor and even dangerous mixing results, as well as the risk of breakage or leakage, which could be avoided by using tested, high-quality originals, the company says.
“Hoof repair is usually an undertaking for farmers and vital to the welfare of the animal. Using an inferior mixing tip can mean that a cow or horse is receiving poor quality care, which may result in distress. By using a high-quality static mixing tip, farmers and veterinarians can ensure optimal treatment and a much happier animal,” Hans-Peter explained.
In this case, an approved distributor alerted medmix to the counterfeits, but the company takes further steps to identify poor quality imitations.
Brack added: “We are experienced at defending our rights in the dental industry, but this ruling shows that we are ready to protect our innovations for the industrial market too. As a technology company, we are dedicated to removing counterfeits from sale and ensuring that our customers and distributors, as well as end users, do not suffer the consequences of fake mixing tips.”
