Align Technology Wins Significant Patent Infringement Case Against Angelalign at Unified Patent Court
SAN JOSE, Calif. & TEMPE, Ariz., October 17, 2026--Align Technology, Inc. ("Align") (Nasdaq: ALGN), a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign® System of clear aligners, welcomes the decision of the Unified Patent Court ("UPC") finding 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.
In August 2025, Align initiated patent infringement proceedings against several companies within the Angelalign Technology, Inc. corporate group ("Angel") (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 6699.HK) in multiple jurisdictions, including before the UPC, which covers participating European Union member states.
On October 16, 2026, the Paris Local Division of the UPC ruled that aligner systems incorporating Angel's Torque Ridges feature infringe Align's patent. The Court rejected Angel's challenges to the validity of the patent, issued an injunction requiring Angel to recall and destroy infringing products, ordered Angel to pay damages to Align, and granted Align other relief. Angel must cease offering infringing aligner systems incorporating Torque Ridges in 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.
Commenting on the UPC decision, Arthur S. Hsieh, Align Technology vice president, Deputy General Counsel, Intellectual Property & Licensing, said, "The ruling represents a significant victory for Align and underscores the importance of protecting the innovations resulting from Align's substantial and sustained investment in research and development. Angel has sought to downplay the impact of the ruling by emphasizing that Angel recently discontinued Torque Ridges in Europe and introduced a different feature called 'Pressure Points.' This should not obscure the significance of the Court's decision: Angel's Torque Ridges were found to infringe Align's patented technology, and Angel has publicly stated that it will comply with the Court's ruling, which requires Angel to recall and destroy infringing products, pay damages to Align, and take other remedial actions. Similarly, Angel's characterization of Pressure Points as an "upgrade" or "next generation" of Torque Ridges should not be understood to establish that the two technologies are technically equivalent or that Pressure Points provide an equivalent alternative to Torque Ridges. Angel's own public materials describe Pressure Points as based on the longstanding use of "hand-made dimples" to apply targeted forces to teeth. Align does not view Angel's Pressure Points as a technological upgrade to, or an equivalent replacement for, the ridge-based technology at issue in the UPC proceeding."