The Paris Local Division of the Unified Patent Court ruled on 16 October 2026 that clear-aligner systems incorporating Angelalign’s Torque Ridges feature infringe Align Technology’s European patent EP 2 237 738 B1, which covers Align’s Power Ridge technology.
Align, listed on Nasdaq as ALGN, designs and sells the Invisalign system. It began infringement proceedings in August 2025 against companies in the Angelalign Technology group, listed in Hong Kong as 6699.HK, in several jurisdictions, including the Unified Patent Court, which covers participating European Union member states.
The court rejected Angelalign’s challenges to the patent’s validity, issued an injunction requiring Angelalign to recall and destroy infringing products, ordered it to pay damages to Align, and granted other relief. Angelalign must stop offering aligner systems that incorporate Torque Ridges in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. The decision can be appealed.
Arthur S. Hsieh, Align’s vice president and deputy general counsel for intellectual property and licensing, said the ruling is a significant victory and reflects Align’s investment in research and development. He said Angelalign has sought to downplay the impact by noting that it recently discontinued Torque Ridges in Europe and introduced a different feature called Pressure Points. Hsieh said that should not obscure the finding that Torque Ridges infringe Align’s patented technology, and that Angelalign has publicly stated it will comply with the order to recall and destroy infringing products, pay damages and take other remedial steps.
Hsieh also said Angelalign’s description of Pressure Points as an “upgrade” or “next generation” of Torque Ridges should not be taken to mean the two technologies are technically equivalent, or that Pressure Points are an equivalent alternative. He said Angelalign’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 Pressure Points as a technological upgrade to, or an equivalent replacement for, the ridge-based technology at issue.
Align’s Power Ridge feature is designed to apply targeted forces to improve root torque control and support predictable tooth movement. It remains part of the Invisalign system. Align has not taken a public position on whether Pressure Points implicate its intellectual property rights, and said it will keep evaluating products from Angelalign and other companies.
The October ruling follows other Align actions against Angelalign. In February 2026 the Unified Patent Court issued a preliminary injunction over Align’s ClinCheck Live Update technology; the UPC Court of Appeal later upheld that order, and the case on the merits continues. In July 2026 the U.S. International Trade Commission held an evidentiary hearing on five patents Align asserts against Angelalign, with an initial determination expected in November 2026. In August 2026 the Jinan Intermediate People’s Court in China found at first instance that Angelalign’s use of its MasterForce and ATreat systems to generate A7 and A7 Speed premolar-extraction plans infringes Align patents, and that aligners made and sold with the accused technology also infringe. Angelalign has appealed that judgment. Align is still pursuing further actions in China.
Align says it has treated nearly 23.5 million Invisalign patients worldwide and invests more than $300 million a year in technology. Its treatment-planning centres include sites in Poland, Spain, France and Germany, and its aligner plants include Wroclaw in Poland and Vienna in Austria. It says Wroclaw is the operations hub for its EMEA business, serving more than 63,000 Invisalign-trained doctors in the region.