Negative Award “Plagiarius” for Imitators
In addition to the constant goal and incentive to provide physicians with the best possible products, KARL STORZ also takes a firm stand against plagiarism and any other infringements of industrial property rights, combating such violations by all means at its disposal.
This is the reason why, in the last three years, KARL STORZ has identified 23 German companies that have copied the original STORZ standard set for urology: the resectoscope working element (passive and/or active construction) and, in some cases, its resectoscope sheaths. With the exception of one ongoing lawsuit, 22 cases were decided in favor of KARL STORZ either in or out of court.
As in the previous year when 8 plagiarists were awarded the prize for copying the KARL STORZ resectoscope set, the Plagiarius jury also “honoured” a further company – Fa. Phoebus Medizintechnik GmbH, Tuttlingen – with a negative award for copying the KARL STORZ resectoscope set.
KARL STORZ management specifically welcomes the efforts of “Aktion Plagiarius” and many other institutions who aim to increase public awareness of product piracy and plagiarism with the following statement: “It is only possible to continue to invest in medical technology when our potential for development is adequately protected. Healthy and fair competition provides us with an incentive to offer our customers even better products and solutions. Plagiarism which jeopardizes our reputation as a quality manufacturer as well as the jobs of our employees is the type of unfair competition which KARL STORZ – also with our customers in mind – is not prepared to accept in future.”