FRANKFURT -- Germany's Federal Court of Justice has banned Mercedes-Benz from selling its Airscarf headrest heating system in cars sold in the country because of a dispute over patents.
The court said that the verdict banned the sale of the system, which is an option in models such as the Mercedes SLK/SLC, SL, S-class, E-class, C-class and AMG GT Roadster convertibles.
The Airscarf system blows hot air through the seat headrest onto the necks of drivers and passengers. It is used in about two thirds of the convertible models sold in Germany, according to Automotive News Europe’s sister publication Automobilwoche.
The court ruling follows a long running patent dispute between Daimler and the former patent owner Ludwig Schatzinger. Mercedes has been ordered to disable the Airscarf ventilation system on all cars within its German sales network.
A spokeswoman for Mercedes-Benz said she was "astonished" by the verdict, given that parent company Daimler had won legal disputes over Airscarf in lower courts.
Automotive News Europe contributed to this report
