Pressure Grows to Stop Automatic Product Bans in EU Patent Rows

Germany is considering softening its rule on automatic bans of products that infringe patented inventions, adding to a growing debate over injunctions that’s playing out across the bloc and pulling in U.S. companies.

The government in Europe’s largest economy this month released a draft amendment to its patent law that would allow courts to refuse an injunction in special circumstances. Such orders banning the import and sale of infringing products are the default in German courts and other national courts in Europe; U.S. judges must consider several factors before issuing an injunction.

The proposal adds fuel to a debate that ...