A Düsseldorf court has sided with an inventor in a patent dispute, ruling that Aldi Nord and its suppliers infringed on a patent for a plastic stacking sleeve. The eleven-centimeter-long, cylindrical invention aids in the stable stacking of plant transport carts, often called Danish carts, commonly used in garden centers and supermarkets.
The ruling marks a significant victory for Uwe Dominik of the Steinfurt district, who developed the stacking sleeve in 2017 after reading about instability issues with Danish carts in horticultural magazines. Dominik, now 60, patented his invention in Germany in 2019 and received a European patent in 2023. He claims the product has been repeatedly imitated and used in Aldi markets since then.
While the court found that Aldi Nord’s use of imitation stacking sleeves constituted patent infringement, it clarified the timeline regarding Aldi’s knowledge of the violation and the calculation of damages. The court determined that Aldi only became aware of the potential patent violation in 2023, following a warning from Dominik, who had initially argued the infringement began in 2019.
Dominik’s legal team sought damages based on Aldi’s total sales of plants during the period of alleged infringement. However, the district court disagreed, stating there was no direct causal link between the plants sold and the infringed patent. The court reasoned that plants would have been delivered to stores and sold regardless of the stacking sleeves’ presence.
A court spokeswoman explained that the final compensation amount is still to be calculated. Dominik and his lawyers had initially set the dispute value at 500,000 euros.
Dominik views the decision as a crucial step, stating, “I will definitely go on.” He plans to pursue further action, as imitated products are reportedly used in multiple supermarkets. His lawyer indicated that settlement negotiations are also underway with several companies in the horticultural industry.
