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| (Source: SFA) |
German manufacturer Knauf AG has launched a series of patent invalidation actions in South Korea targeting automation technologies held by SFA, a local logistics equipment company.
In February 2025, Knauf filed invalidation petitions with the Korean Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (KIPTAB) against two patents titled "Smart Picking System" (Registration Nos. 2412363 and 1795440), seeking to cancel claim 1 of each. The patents relate to automated logistics systems that minimize human intervention by transferring products from source boxes to target boxes via smart picking mechanisms, often featuring multiple picking stations or automated box conveyors.
Subsequently, on April 1, 2025, Knauf also filed a separate petition challenging claim 1 of SFA's patent "Transfer Shuttle and Automated Warehouse System Using the Same" (Registration No. 1717447). Knauf initially filed two invalidation petitions against this patent but withdrew one on April 7, leaving a single active proceeding.
The shuttle patent, filed in 2015 and registered in March 2017, covers a rail-guided transfer shuttle that connects to storage shelves and extends laterally to transport goods. The system is designed to enhance storage efficiency by automating the movement and placement of goods within a warehouse.
All three cases are pending before KIPTAB.
By PatenTrip
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