Align Technology wins EU patent ruling against Angelalign's aligner feature
Align Technology (Nasdaq: ALGN) secured a patent infringement ruling from the Unified Patent Court (UPC) against Angelalign Technology (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 6699.HK), according to a company statement.
On October 16, the Paris Local Division of the UPC ruled that aligner systems incorporating Angelalign's Torque Ridges feature infringe Align's European Patent EP 2 237 738 B1, which covers its Power Ridge technology. The court rejected Angelalign's challenges to the patent's validity, issued an injunction requiring Angelalign to recall and destroy infringing products, and ordered the company to pay damages to Align.
Angelalign must cease offering aligner systems incorporating Torque Ridges in 17 countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The decision is subject to appeal.

Align noted that Angelalign had discontinued Torque Ridges in Europe and introduced a feature it calls "Pressure Points." Align stated it does not view Pressure Points as a technological equivalent to or replacement for the ridge-based technology at issue in the UPC proceeding. Align said it has not taken a public position on whether Pressure Points implicate its intellectual property rights.
The ruling is part of a broader set of ongoing legal actions between the two companies. In February 2026, the UPC issued a preliminary injunction requiring Angelalign to cease infringement of Align's ClinCheck Live Update technology, a decision later upheld on appeal. In July 2026, the U.S. International Trade Commission held an evidentiary hearing on five patents asserted by Align against Angelalign, with an initial determination expected in November 2026. In August 2026, a Chinese court found that Angelalign's biomechanical simulation and treatment design systems infringed Align's patent rights; Angelalign has appealed that ruling.

