Peugeot Motocycles Italia fined a million euros for patent infringement

The Corte Suprema di Cassazione, which is the supreme court of Italy, has dismissed the appeal filed by Peugeot Motocycles SAS and Peugeot Motocycles Italia against the January 16, 2023, ruling of the Milan Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court upheld the initial verdict of the Court of Milan, stating that the Peugeot entities had infringed upon the Italian portion of a European patent owned by Piaggio & C. SpA. The patent in question pertains to the control system that enables three-wheel vehicles such as the Piaggio MP3 to tilt sideways like a traditional motorcycle.

The Corte di Cassazione did not evaluate the merits of the appeal by Peugeot Motocycles SAS and Peugeot Motocycles Italia. Instead, it deemed the appeal inadmissible due to the appellants’ requests for new investigations (which the Supreme Court is precluded from conducting) and objections to alleged defects in the grounds of the court of appeal’s ruling.

According to a press release by Piaggio, the Supreme Court’s decision has definitively established that the Italian segment of the Piaggio & C. SpA European patent was infringed. This resulted in an injunction against Peugeot Motocycles Italia.

The Milan Court of Appeal has also determined that Peugeot Motocycles Italia will be obligated to pay damages exceeding a million euros (Rs 8.78 crore) as a result of the infringement.