Source: https://www.patentlitigation.ch/applicable-procedural-code-admissibility-of-party-opinions-and-court-expert-opinions-from-separate-proceedings/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:34:23+00:00

Document:
This nullity case regarding the Swiss part of a European patent filed on 18 July 2008 with the Commercial Court of the Canton of Zurich was transferred to the FPC on 17 January 2012. As of 1 January 2012, the FPC has become the competent court according to Art. 41 in conjunction with Art. 26 PatCA.
After transfer of the case, defendant submitted copies of extensive expert opinions requested by the German Federal Court of Justice and the District Court of Rome, Italy, in parallel proceedings and only briefly referred to their respective conclusions in his written submissions. Plaintiff argued that the expert opinions did not constitute evidence in terms of the Swiss civil procedural code (CPC). Further, plaintiff objected to these opinions being treated as defendant’s submissions as the experts’ technical considerations had been enclosed with but not referred to in defendant’s writ.
According to Art. 27 PatCA, the CPC is applicable in cases before the FPC. However, Art. 404(1) CPC states that the previously applicable procedural code (of the respective Canton) remains applicable to pending cases until proceedings within the respective instance are closed. There are no transitional provisions regarding pending cases that have been transferred from cantonal courts to the FPC; only the Guidelines on proceedings before the FPC (Art. 10(2)) hold that the CPC shall be applicable. It has now been decided that based on the fact that Art. 27 PatCA is a lex specialis with regard to Art. 404(1) CPC, it takes precedence over the latter. On entering into force of PatCA, the federal procedural code is to be applied to cases transferred to the FPC. However, the parties will be given an opportunity to make submissions pertaining to any issues that they did not need or were not able to make under the terms of the previously applicable cantonal codes of procedure (cf. Art. 10(3) of the Guidelines on Proceedings before the FPC).
In gleicher Weise wie bei Tatsachenbehauptungen hat eine Partei auch bei Privatgutachten oder Gutachten aus anderen Verfahren ihre darauf gestützten Ansprüche möglichst konkret, d.h. substantiiert zu behaupten. Behauptungen (auch wenn sie in Form eines Gutachtens aus einem anderen Verfahren vorgebracht werden) sind in dem Sinne “zu verknüpfen”, dass ohne weiteres und ohne unzumutbaren Aufwand ersichtlich ist, mit welchen Urkunden bzw. Beweisanträgen welche Tatsachen bewiesen werden sollen ([…]).
Facts that can merely be inferred from enclosures need not be considered by the court. In as far as specific passages within the opinions were not indicated to relate to defendant’s writ these opinions were regarded as inadmissible and were not considered.
Wie erwähnt, geht es nicht an, einen Sachverhaltskomplex (d.h. vorliegend die Schlussfolgerung von Gerichtsgutachten) zu schildern und sich zum Beweis am Schluss dieser Behauptungen pauschal auf einen Stoss Akten zu berufen ([…]).
This case is cont’d on 31 July 2012.
Yet another review of this decision can be found on the Kluwer Patent Blog.
An oral hearing is scheduled for 09 July 2013.

References: Art. 41
 Art. 26
 Art. 27
 Art. 404
 Art. 27
 Art. 404
 Art. 10