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Recent cases

Koninklijke Philips NV v (1) Asustek Computer Inc (2) Asustek (UK) Ltd (3) Asus Technology PTE Ltd (4) HTC Corp (5) HTC Europe Co Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 223017 December 2019James Abrahams QC appeared on behalf of the Defendants in this appeal. The case concerned three mobile telecommunications patents (“659”, “525” and “511”) that the Claimant had declared were essential to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System standard. Arnold J at first instance (in separate judgments for each patent) held that 659 was invalid but that […]
Halewood International Brands Limited and Vera Lynn O-766-1912 December 2019Tom Jones represented the applicant, Halewood International Brands Limited, and Ashton Chantrielle represented the opponent, Dame Vera Lynn, in this dispute relating to an application to register VERA LYNN as a trade mark for alcoholic beverages and spirits. The Opposition was brought on the basis that Dame Vera Lynn has pre-existing passing off rights and […]
Ablynx v VHsquared10 December 2019Lindsay Lane QC appeared for the Appellants in this case concerning whether the High Court had jurisdiction in patent infringement proceedings between two licensees. The licence contained an exclusive choice of court clause conferring jurisdiction on the Belgian court and, subsequent to the commencement of the UK proceedings, the Appellants had commenced proceedings in Belgium […]
Edward Christopher Sheeran MBE and Others v Sami Chokri and Others [2019] EWHC 3584 (Ch)9 December 2019Jessie Bowhill appeared on behalf of the Appellants (Claimants) in an appeal concerning the admissibility of similar fact evidence in a claim for copyright infringement. The claim concerns the song “Shape of You” written by the first three Claimants, which the Defendants contend infringe the copyright in the song “Oh Why”. This appeal was from […]
Conversant v Apple [2019] EWHC 3266 (Pat)29 November 2019James Mellor QC and Michael Conway represented Conversant and Charlotte May QC and Lindsay Lane QC appeared for Apple in this trial relating to patent infringement and validity which was heard before Birss J. The patent in question (as unconditionally amended) related to a particular user interface for a “smart phone”. It was said to […]
Kogan v Martin & ors21 November 2019Ashton Chantrielle appeared for the Appellant, Julia Kogan in an appeal concerning joint authorship of copyright works. Jonathan Hill appeared for three film companies, which were third party defendants in the proceedings. The appeal concerned authorship of copyright in the screenplay for the film Florence Foster Jenkins. At first instance, HHJ Hacon declared that the […]
Shnuggle Limited v Munchkin Inc. and Lindam Limited [2019] EWHC 3149 (IPEC)20 November 2019Lindsay Lane QC appeared on behalf of the Defendants (Munchkin and Lindam) in this case involving design rights in baby baths. This was a claim for infringement of design rights in two registered Community designs and also UK unregistered design rights in respect of six designs related to certain parts of two models of baby […]
Warner Music and Sony Music v TuneIn [2019] EWHC 2923 (Ch)1 November 2019Robert Howe QC and Jaani Riordan appeared for the Defendant in an important test case concerning the scope of the right of communication to the public. The Claimants (Warner and Sony) were music labels who owned or licensed the copyright in numerous sound recordings. TuneIn was a platform offering a directory of hyperlinks to freely […]
Shanks v Unilever Plc & Ors23 October 2019In Shanks v Unilever, Lord Kitchin, giving the judgment of the Supreme Court, set aside the IPO hearing officer’s decision, upheld by Arnold J and the Court of Appeal, rejecting Prof Shanks’s claim for compensation from his employer, the research arm of Unilever, on grounds that patents for an electrochemical testing device he invented were […]
Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd and Anor v Sandoz Ltd and ors [2019] EWHC 2545 (Ch)4 October 2019Martin Howe QC, Iona Berkeley and Ashton Chantrielle appeared for the First to Fifth Defendants (‘Sandoz’) in this lengthy passing off trial, concerning the colour and get-up of the Claimants’ Seretide combination inhaler, an extremely successful prescription only medication. The action was dismissed, and on 4th February 2020 the Court of Appeal (Floyd LJ) refused […]