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Materialise Scores Against Nobel Biocare: More Changes Looming in the Surgical Guide Market?

Last Updated: Aug 20, 2007

Late last week Materialise Dental, developer of SimPlant, scored a victory against Nobel Biocare, developer of the NobelGuide system, when a German court ruled that Nobel Biocare was infringing the Materialise patent supporting its SurgiGuide drillguide system.

According to Materialise, the company may decide to provisionally enforce this judgment which would stop Nobel Biocare from offering its â€œNobelGuideâ€ drilling templates in their current form in Germany.

Bart Swaelens, CEO of Materialise Dental, commented: â€œI am very glad that the Court agreed that Nobel Biocare is infringing our patent. We have been promoting Computer Guided Implantology for many years…our own SimPlant software was introduced into the market already in 1993 and we commercially launched our â€œSurgiGuideâ€ drill guides in 1999, i.e. six years before the introduction of NobelGuide by Nobel Biocare in 2005.â€ Mr. Swaelens continues: â€œThis judgment supports our market position as the provider of an open and complete system, compatible with all implant brands â€œ.

Of course, Nobel is not about to cede defeat in this ongoing litigation. Nicolas Weidmann a Nobel Biocare spokesman stated, ‘Nobel Biocare is… of the opinion that no valid claims of the Materialise patent are being infringed.’ Meanwhile, Nobel Biocare has filed a lawsuit in the US against Materialise Group and its unit Materialise Dental, seeking a determination that Nobel Biocare does not infringe Materialise’s relevant patents, Weidmann added.

What are your thoughts on the recent court victory of Materialise against Nobel? Will this ruling dramatically change the overall competitive landscape in the Computer Guided Implant Surgery market? Will smaller players in the market also soon feel the heat from Materialise?

8 Comments on Materialise Scores Against Nobel Biocare: More Changes Looming in the Surgical Guide Market?

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anon

8/21/2007

Great decision. When looking at the overpriced basic program of Nobel's, it is so clear they copied Simplant. Copyrighted and patened works need protection, and I'm glad the courts have ruled properly. But I'm sure Nobel will continue to fight and the only people that will truly win are the attornies. If there is a large settlement, they'll pass that right on to the consumer by up-ing the price of their implants, drills, and/or restorative pieces.

super-implant

8/22/2007

Geeze! you sound like a disgruntled man about Nobel. I am wondering what effect this may have on other companies coming out with similar systems and will it hit the U.S.?

ANON2

8/23/2007

My very preliminary review on this matter reveals the following. German ruling on Claim 1 of Materialise patent only. Claim 1 is about the stereolithographic method of guide creation. This is a Euro patent. Claims 1-23 of Materialise patent application in US were "Not Accepted" as patentable So....If Im correct, be sure that the same reasons why 1 -23 were not patentable in the US will be brought up in the appeal in Germany. Plus, in the states, Nobel is attempting to "invalidate" the patent. If sucessful...status quo. If the patent survives the invalidation process in US PTO, it will emerge as a "stronger" patent. But, Im not an attorney or representative of either entity...I just reviewed the issues on the internet...open to all interested parties.

Fadi

8/27/2007

Recently Biomet 3I signed a contract with Materialise so hopfully they will come up with guided surgery less expensive and user freindly software better than Procera software. About the court issue, Germany is a different football feild I think ,in the US, Nobel will settle the case for ten miilion dollars as Invisalign did to Orthoclear 2 years ago.

Albert Hall

9/9/2007

At the end they pay the fine and that is it Nobel customers will not take any negative decision about this, since they need to preserve the inversion in the software, at least in the US.... In Germany I do not know, they will return the money back to customers.... They seemed to be too rich, but it stock is having changes lately and Mrs.Canepa is gone

Bottomish Shagnasty

10/10/2007

Wow, guess this is what happens when money is paramount to Corporations and not patient care, Wall Street strikes again.

Albert Hall

12/9/2008

Software dependant on Materialise, will not be cheaper, since they are trying to preserve itÂ´s pioneer developement. Other will come out,but hardly to beleive Materialise will be beaten by others,since the system is too friendly to all implant Systems, including Nobelbiocare new and old fashin systems....

Michael Peklin

8/11/2010

I've just talked to a couple of Materialise reps. Materialise is going to increase its prices on the classic SurgiGuide significantly. This plus the new draconian rules on using vouchers clearly show what their monopoly is going to look like. They make nice software, but the new price structuring makes no sense to the consumers and only serves as a deterrent. Despite the fact I'm a long time user of their products, these changes make me look elsewhere. That's the way they reward and promote loyalty. I hope that the US court will be wise enough to prevent formation of a monopoly in the developing field of guided surgery.

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