SAP files suit against Celonis in EU patent court: WiWo

SAP files suit against Celonis in EU patent court: WiWo

SAP, the German enterprise resource planning software giant, has taken a significant step in its patent litigation history by filing a lawsuit against Celonis in the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Dusseldorf. This move marks a shift from SAP's traditional role as a defendant in patent infringement cases to an active plaintiff. The case, with the number ACT_29431/2025, was formally received by the UPC on June 21, 2025, and is assigned to a panel of judges including Presiding Judge Ronny Thomas, Judge Dr. Jule Schumacher, and Judge Dr. Walter Schober (Vienna, Austria) [1].

SAP is suing Celonis over EP3913496, a patent titled "Enabling data access by external cloud-based analytics system." The patent focuses on interoperability between SAP's enterprise resource planning software and Celonis' process mining solution. SAP is seeking a multi-country patent injunction, which could have significant implications for the software industry [1].

Celonis, a German software startup founded in 2011, is one of Europe's "decacorns" with a valuation below $10 billion. The company has previously been supported by SAP's startup accelerator program but has since filed an antitrust complaint against SAP in the Northern District of California. SAP's lawsuit in the UPC could be seen as a strategic move to counter Celonis' antitrust claims [1].

The UPC case comes at a time when Celonis is also facing a U.S. antitrust complaint. On June 30, 2025, Judge Vince Chhabria dismissed virtually all of the 11 claims in Celonis' U.S. antitrust complaint, with only one limited claim over interference with contracts remaining. Celonis has since filed an amended complaint, but the UPC case may put additional pressure on Celonis to settle globally [1].

SAP's move to assert a patent against a rival is significant, as it validates the company's long-standing advocacy for broad software patent eligibility. This shift could have broader ramifications for the software industry, potentially influencing patent eligibility and interoperability standards [1].

References:
[1] https://ipfray.com/breaking-sap-files-its-first-offensive-patent-infringement-complaint-in-history-sues-rival-celonis-at-upc-dusseldorf/