Valeo Electrification v SEG Automotive Germany (CFI, 21 August 2026)

Dhenne Avocats · 10 October 2026

Our analysis

Summary

In an order of 20 August 2026, issued in German in the provisional measures proceedings UPC_CFI_2788/2026 concerning EP 3 645 903, the judge-rapporteur of the Düsseldorf Local Division granted Valeo Electrification’s confidentiality application against SEG Automotive Germany GmbH. The highlighted passages of the application and of several exhibits are protected. On SEG’s side, access is reserved to its representatives and to four individuals agreed between the parties. The order is chiefly of practical interest: the division requires the information to be identified precisely and reminds the parties to concentrate their submissions.

Question

Was the confidentiality application sufficiently precise and well founded, and what is expected of the parties in urgent proceedings?

Decision

The application was admissible: an order under Rule 262A that confines information to a limited circle at the respondent also keeps it from the public, so no further differentiation was needed (paragraph 9). The applicant had, however, cited the wrong paragraph and left out two exhibits. The court could reconstruct the request from the highlighting, but warned that imprecise requests risk rejection or correction in future (paragraph 10). On the merits, the information is confidential, and SEG’s assertion that some of it was public did not persuade the court (paragraphs 11 and 12). The judge also reminded the parties that a deadline calls for a single, complete statement of position rather than piecemeal filings (paragraph 13).

Key points for practice

• Every passage and exhibit for which protection is sought must be identified precisely in the Rule 262A application (paragraph 10).
• Protection granted against the respondent also operates against the public. The respondent keeps the benefit of the exceptions in the order, notably for information lawfully obtained from an independent source (paragraphs 9 and 12).

Provisions applied

Agreement on a Unified Patent Court

Art. 58

Rules of Procedure

Rules 9.1, 209.1(a), 262.1(b), 262.2 and 262A

Other provisions

Directive (EU) 2016/943 on the protection of trade secrets, Art. 9(1) and (2)

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.