On December 30, 2022, the 15th Civil Senate of the Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Düsseldorf ruled that C.G. Haenel’s (Haenel) CR223 rifle infringes a patent held by Heckler & Koch and may consequently no longer be manufactured or distributed in Germany. This decision rejected Haenel’s appeal against the first-instance decision of the Regional Court (LG) in Düsseldorf from November 16, 2021. The court found that a Heckler & Koch patent for the design of a recoil spring tube, which is provided with holes so that water can drain from the tube quickly, had been infringed.
