Nov 25, 2019

Philips wins IP infringement disputes with power toothbrush and brush head manufacturers and sellers

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the successful outcome of several intellectual property (IP) infringement disputes with power toothbrush and brush head manufacturers and sellers following targeted legal actions in Europe. Financial details will not be disclosed.

In the interest of consumers and to safeguard Philips’ innovation efforts, the company took legal actions in Germany and Poland against several companies for infringing Philips’ IP rights. The infringements related to design infringements, unfair competition, trade dress infringements, trademark infringements and misleading advertisements. The court rulings in both countries upheld Philips’ rights, thereby stopping the infringements and protecting consumers against further deceptive trade practices by third parties.

We respect the intellectual property of others, and expect others to do the same as a matter of ethical business principles.

Michael-John Kühne

General Manager Oral Healthcare at Philips.

“As a global leader in oral healthcare, Philips invests significantly in R&D to bring new innovations to market and provide consumers with the very best solutions for their oral health,” said Michael-John Kühne, General Manager Oral Healthcare at Philips. “We respect the intellectual property of others, and expect others to do the same as a matter of ethical business principles. When a party falls short in respecting our intellectual property, we act decisively in the interest of consumers and to protect our innovation efforts. I am satisfied that in the past two years, we have successfully concluded over 20 intellectual property infringement disputes with power toothbrush and brush head manufacturers and sellers with our legal actions in Europe.”

The courts’ rulings prohibit the defendants from further infringement of Philips’ trademarks, design rights and trade dress, such as those found in various Sonicare brush heads and Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrushes.

Philips has leading market positions in oral healthcare products and services worldwide, leveraging an innovative portfolio of power toothbrushes, whitening devices, interdental cleaning devices, and brush heads. This is complemented by services, connected applications and personalized coaching and guidance that use smart sensor technology to empower consumers to proactively manage and improve their dental hygiene and oral health.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 80,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.