THE WHAT? GEKA has successfully defended and enforced its intellectual property rights for its lipDEFINER cosmetic applicator design in Germany.
THE DETAILS The Frankfurt District Court ruled in October 2025 that competing applicators—though not identical—created the same overall impression as GEKA’s registered design and therefore infringed its rights. The court granted a permanent injunction, prohibiting the competitor from selling or distributing the products in Germany and entitling GEKA to damages. The decision became final after the defendant withdrew its appeal.
In March 2026, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) further upheld the validity of GEKA’s registered design, confirming it has at least a medium scope of protection due to its distinctive and unique features. The case also highlighted that infringing products imported from outside the EU and distributed in Germany fall under the same restrictions. Additionally, the court found the competitor had breached a prior settlement agreement related to the same design.
THE WHY? The ruling reinforces the importance of design protection in the beauty packaging sector, ensuring brands and suppliers can safeguard innovation, prevent copycat products, and protect product quality standards across global supply chain
Source: GEKA
