Could be pre-emptive in case they think the German design they "borrowed" has not yet been patented in Germany. You file like you said to timestamp the IP, even if it's another year before they move forward with registering in another country, the timestamp today holds up as the filing date in the other country. This doesnt mean the IP can't be disputed, just means that have a "priority period." We've been down this road with software and it's good protection, if the IP is actually yours.
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