Align Technology Patent Litigation Ruling: ClearCorrect Found Infringing but Patent Invalid, No Damages Awarded in This Round

Source: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

DentalGoodNews｜On July 2, 2026, local time, a jury in the Waco Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a mixed verdict in the patent and antitrust dispute between Invisalign® parent company Align Technology and ClearCorrect (a subsidiary of Straumann): ClearCorrect's related products were found to infringe patents, but the asserted patent claims by Align Technology were deemed invalid.

Specifically, this jury verdict involved four patents related to polymer films for multi-layer orthodontic aligners (US 10,973,613, US 11,154,384, US 11,648,090, US 11,648,091). The jury found that ClearCorrect's ClearQuartz aligners, manufactured using Zendura FLX three-layer plastic structure, fell within the scope of the relevant claims, constituting infringement. At the same time, the jury determined that these claims were invalid under the "clear and convincing" standard of proof.

In the antitrust portion, ClearCorrect had primarily accused Align Technology of maintaining its market position through iTero, exclusive contracts, discounts and loyalty programs, and enforcing patents allegedly obtained by defrauding the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The jury did not support ClearCorrect/Straumann's counterclaims, finding that they failed to prove the relevant market as a "doctor-led clear aligner market," and thus did not proceed to subsequent issues such as monopoly power, anticompetitive conduct, causation of harm, and antitrust damages. Due to the invalidation of the relevant patent claims, the Verdict Form in this round did not address patent damages (Questions 3–4).

Source: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Case No. 6:24-cv-00187

This case dates back to 2011, when Align first sued ClearCorrect in U.S. federal court for infringing eight of its patents. In 2017, Straumann Group fully acquired ClearCorrect. In March 2019, the parties announced a global settlement, with Straumann paying Align $35 million, and both sides agreeing to withdraw existing patent disputes in the U.S. and the U.K. In April 2024, Align filed a new lawsuit (Case No. 6:24-cv-00187), alleging that ClearCorrect continued to infringe after the 2019 settlement, involving Zendura FLX/ClearQuartz aligner materials, ClearPilot treatment planning software, and the Virtuo Vivo intraoral scanning system. In July 2024, ClearCorrect and Straumann USA filed counterclaims, accusing Align of monopolizing the "doctor-led clear aligner" and intraoral scanner markets, and seeking to invalidate Align's related patents.

Additionally, according to previous reports by DENTALGOODNEWS (Leading Dental Industry Media, DGN), the European Commission officially launched the first antitrust investigation in the medical device industry against Align Technology on June 30, 2026, focusing on whether Align restricts the interoperability of other intraoral scanning devices with Invisalign, creating a closed ecosystem around Invisalign and iTero. As of the time of this report, the PTAB IPR (Inter Partes Review) proceedings for patents such as US 11,648,091 are still ongoing. As of press time, neither Align Technology nor Straumann Group has issued further statements regarding this verdict.