Context:
- Further to a November 14, 2025 hearing, the Unified Patent Court’s (UPC) Mannheim Local Division (LD) upheld  (December 25, 2025 ip fray article) a preliminary injunction (PI) against Amazon that initially came down ex parte. Amazon appealed immediately to the UPC Court of Appeal (CoA). UPC President Dr. Klaus Grabinski denied Amazonâs motion to stay enforcement (January 5, 2026 ip fray article). The related appellate hearing has meanwhile been scheduled for May 28, 2026 (February 3, 2026 ip fray article).
- There is a high risk of further escalation these days as Amazon uses the UK proceedings to pressure InterDigital to give up on its UPC anti-interim-license injunction or at least on an essential part thereof. It cannot be ruled out in this circumstances that the UPC will decline to recognize a coerced withdrawal and/or impose sua sponte sanctions (February 4, 2026 ip fray article).
What’s new: The UPC CoA yesterday decided to publish a new Amazon v. InterDigital appeal, which was filed on January 30, 2026. That one was assigned to the same panel as the December appeal. It appears most likely now that both appeals will be heard together on May 28, 2026. This new appeal is also related to the interjurisdictional conflict:
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Panels and counsel
CoA
Presiding Judge Ulrike Voss (âVoĂâ in German) was recently sworn in as the Presiding Judge of the CoAâs new Panel 3. But for this case she is joined by President Dr. Grabinskiâs trusted sidekicks Judge-rapporteur Prof. Peter Blok and Judge Emmanuel GougĂ© (Panel 1). Presiding Judge Voss is famous in the SEP context for her referral of Huawei v. ZTE to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) while she was presiding over one of the divisions of the Dusseldorf Regional Court. For the Munich LD, she granted Nokia an anti-antisuit injunction against SUNMI (February 20, 2025 ip fray article).
Mannheim LD panel
Presiding Judge (and here, judge-rapporteur) Prof. Peter Tochtermann, Judge Dirk Boettcher (âBlttcherâ in German), and Judge AndrĂĄs Kupecz (CD Munich). Judge Prof. Tochtermann has so far masterfully managed this delicate matter, and the tone and content of the ECâs letter vindicate his notice to Brussels.
Counsel for InterDigital
Counsel for InterDigital: Arnold Ruessâs Cordula Schumacher (also lead counsel on appeal), Dr. Lisa Rieth, Tim Smentkowski, Julija Kravtsova, and Dr. Marina Wehler. From the UK, Bird & Birdâs Mark Livsey attended the Mannheim LD hearing in person. U.S. attorney Richard Kamprath of McKool Smith was also among the remote attendees. In-house litigation counsel Steven Akerley attended in person, and several other InterDigital lawyers and executives followed the video stream.
Counsel for Amazon
- In person at the Mannheim hearing: Hoyng Rokh Monegierâs Klaus Haft, Sven Krause, Roeland Grijpink, Dr. LĂ©on Dijkman, Moritz Lohr, Dr. Nico Schur, and Antonia Wilhelm; as well as (from the UK) Hogan Lovellsâs Paul Brown.
- By video: Hoyng Rokh Monegierâs Kay Kasper; Hogan Lovells UKâs Will Buswell and Ian Moss; Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hamptonâs Martin Bader and Stephen Korniczky; and Amazon VP IP Scott Hayden and Associate General Counsel IP Marc Ascolese.