Hewlett-Packard Development Company v LAMA France (CFI, 27 August 2024)

Dhenne Avocats · 10 October 2026

Our analysis

Summary

By order of 27 August 2024 (UPC_CFI_358/2023, ACT_578697/2023, ORD_48649/2024), the presiding judge and judge-rapporteur of the Paris Local Division (C. Lignières) granted Hewlett-Packard Development Company’s request to hear, at the oral hearing of 2 October 2024, a witness employed by the HP group, in the infringement action on EP 2 089 230 and EP 1 737 669 against LAMA France. She refused the simultaneous interpretation requested by LAMA.

Question

May an employee of the claimant’s group be heard at the hearing on his contested written statements, and may the other party obtain simultaneous interpretation of his testimony given in English?

Decision

The request complies with Rule 177.1(a) and (b) RoP, since LAMA contests the witness’s written statements. The objections based on his being part of the HP group and his reliance on internal databases do not prevent the hearing: the witness will testify under oath (Rule 178.1 RoP), and oral questions will clarify LAMA’s role in the alleged acts. He will be heard in English, with the arrangements set after the case management conference of 6 September 2024. Interpretation is not needed: English is one of the two languages of proceedings of the Paris Local Division and the common working language of the divisions (principle of economy of means, point 4 of the preamble), LAMA may use its own interpreter at its own cost by notifying the Registry two weeks before the hearing (Rule 109.4 RoP).

Key points for practice

• Practical point: contesting written witness statements opens the way to hearing the witness, a party wanting interpretation before the Paris Local Division should expect to bear it itself.

Provisions applied

Rules of Procedure

Rules 104(e), 109, 112.2(b), 176 to 179 and 333, and point 4 of the preamble

Prepared by Dhenne Avocats from the official decision, consulted on 10 October 2026. The database is updated every week, on Friday. Only the official text is authoritative.