Recent cases

Actavis v Novartis [2009] EWHC 41 (Ch)16 January 2009The trial, held in July 2008, was about a European Patent for a sustained release formulation of a drug called fluvastatin, a type of statin which reduces blood cholesterol. Actavis sought to revoke the patent on the grounds of obviousness and insufficiency. Novartis did not defend the claims as granted but applied to amend. The […]
Hotel Cipriani SRL v Cipriani (Grosvenor Street) Ltd [2008] EWHC 30329 December 2008The first claimant, the owner of the Cipriani Hotel in Venice successfully brought a claim against the first defendant for trademark infringement and passing off in relation to the London restaurant called ‘Cipriani London’. The first defendant company was run by the sons of Guiseppe Cipriani, one of the founders of the Hotel Cipriani. The […]
Armour Group v Leisuretech Electronics [2008] EWHC 2797 (Pat)14 November 2008Daniel Alexander QC and James Abrahams represented the Claimant Armour and Richard Meade QC and Robert Smith represented Leisuretech Electronics in the trial held in October 2008. Armour sought revocation of Leisuretech’s patent for a system for the provision of stereo sound to different rooms from a single source using a particular type of ‘Cat […]
Bambino Mio Ltd v Cazitex NV [2008] EWHC 2796 (Ch)13 November 2008This action involved a claim for Section 10(2) TMA 1994 trade mark infringement in relation to the Defendant’s, Cazitex’s, reusable nappies. The UK trade mark (registered for inter alia nappies) in issue was ‘Bambino Mio’, the potentially infringing mark ‘Bambineo’. After the 3 day High Court trial the claim was dismissed, the Judge finding in […]
Ancon CCL Limited v ACS Stainless Steel Fixings Ltd [2009] All ER (D) 148 (CA)21 October 2008The Claimant, represented by Daniel Alexander QC and James St. Ville, was the proprietor of a patent for ‘channel assembly’ for use in the construction industry. The Claimant brought an infringement claim against the Defendant who produced and supplied their own channel assembly. The Defendant, who was represented by Andrew Lykiardopoulos, brought a counterclaim for […]
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Limited v Eli Lilly and Company Limited [2008] EWHC 2345 (Pat)13 October 2008The patent in suit was for a drug called olanzapine which is used in the treatment of schizophrenia. The Claimant sought to revoke the patent claiming that the patent was anticipated by and obvious in light of the Defendant’s provisional patent as well as other prior art which it claimed disclosed the formula for olanzapine. […]
Symbian Appeal [2008] EWCA Civ 10668 October 2008In July 2008, Peter Prescott QC and Charlotte May acted for the Comptroller in the Symbian patent appeal relating to computer implemented inventions. This is the first case to reach the Court of Appeal on this aspect of the law since Aerotel and is intended to provide further guidance as to the applicability of the […]
W L Gore & Associates Inc. v Geox SpA [2008] EWHC 2311 (Pat)7 October 2008James Mellor QC and Andrew Lykiardopoulos appeared on behalf of the Claimant and Richard Meade and Tom Moody-Stuart appeared on behalf of the Defendant during this trial heard by Mr Justice Floyd in September 2008. The Claimant sought a declaration of non-infringement and revocation of two of the Defendant’s patents, both relating to shoes with […]
Conor Medsystems Inc v Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc [2008] UKHL 499 July 2008In Conor v. Angiotech, the House of Lords had to consider the validity of a patent claim to a device (a stent coated with taxol) said to be useful in treatment of a certain medical condition (restenosis). The description of the patent did not show that the device was in fact useful in treatment of […]
British Sky Broadcasting Plc and Others v Sky Home Services Limited and Others [2008] EWCA Civ 11013 July 2008Tom Moody-Stuart appeared for the Respondents in this Court of Appeal hearing in July 2008. BSkyB sued Sky Home Services in 2006 for passing off. The Court held that Sky Home Services had passed off their contracts as if they had been approved by BSkyB but that there was no passing off in relation to […]