During the Eurobike trade show in 2025, Brompton filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against DAHON, alleging against DAHON’s newest tri-fold bicycle design and competition law infringements.
On July 23, 2026, upon DAHON’s appeal, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main dismissed Brompton’s motion for a preliminary injunction in its entirety.
In its earlier judgment of December 11, 2025, the Regional Court Frankfurt am Main rejected the design-related claims asserted by Brompton, as DAHON had succeeded in rebutting the presumption of novelty and distinctiveness – and thus also the legal validity – of the asserted European Union design, but granted claims based on unfair competition law.
On appeal, DAHON also succeeded in fully repelling the competition law claims that the Regional Court had initially upheld. In its July 23, 2026 judgment, the Higher Regional Court clarified that the tri-fold bicycle offered by DAHON at EUROBIKE 2025 does not constitute an unfair imitation of Brompton’s folding bicycles and that Brompton must bear the costs of the legal proceedings. The judgment is final and thus concludes the preliminary injunction proceedings.
The companies have previously been involved in other interim proceedings connected with Eurobike. In 2017, Brompton withdrew its proceedings alleging copyright infringement against DAHON tri-fold bicycle CURL.
Separately, the Düsseldorf court declined to grant Brompton’s requested preliminary injunctions in 2026 on procedural grounds against DAHON’s new LUNDEN tri-fold bicycles, citing a lack of urgency.
