Align Wins Unified Patent Court Case Against Angelalign: Torque Ridges Found Infringing, Recall Ordered Across 17 Countries
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) announced on October 17 that the Paris Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) ruled on October 16 that aligner systems incorporating Angelalign's Torque Ridges feature infringe Align's European Patent EP 2 237 738 B1, which relates to Align's Power Ridge technology.
The court rejected Angelalign's challenges to the patent's validity, issued an injunction requiring the company to recall and destroy infringing products, ordered it to pay damages to Align, and barred it from offering aligner systems with Torque Ridges in 17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. The decision is subject to appeal.
Align initiated the proceedings in August 2025 against several companies in the Angelalign group (HKEX: 6699.HK) in multiple jurisdictions. Arthur S. Hsieh, Align's vice president and Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property & Licensing, called the ruling a significant victory that underscores the importance of protecting the innovations resulting from Align's research and development investment. He noted that Angelalign has said it recently discontinued Torque Ridges in Europe and introduced a different feature called Pressure Points, and that Angelalign has publicly stated it will comply with the ruling. Align said it has not taken a public position on whether Pressure Points implicates its intellectual property and will continue to evaluate products offered by Angelalign and others.
The dispute spans several other fronts. In February 2026, the UPC issued a preliminary injunction over Align's ClinCheck Live Update technology, later upheld by the Court of Appeal, with merits proceedings ongoing. In July 2026, the U.S. International Trade Commission held an evidentiary hearing on five patents asserted by Align, with an initial determination expected in November 2026. In August 2026, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in China issued a first-instance judgment finding infringement by Angelalign's digital orthodontic systems; Angelalign has appealed, and Align said it is pursuing additional actions in China.
Headquartered in San Jose, California, and Tempe, Arizona, Align's Invisalign system has treated approximately 23.5 million patients worldwide.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Invisalign 透明矫治器特写（Smikey Io 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，via Wikimedia Commons）
