In an earlier blog, we outlined that the UK confirmed its intention to ratify the International Agreement on a Unified Patent Court. In December 2016, the UK government proceeded to sign the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the Unified Patent Court. The Protocol provides EU privileges and immunities to the judges of
The UK has confirmed today that it intends to ratify the International Agreement on a Unified Patent Court. The Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, reportedly made the statement at a meeting of the EU Competitive Council.
There has been much commentary on the political and legal challenges the UK would face in joining the system post-Brexit. It does remain the possibility that the UK could join the system and then be ejected, something which is most likely to be determined post-Brexit.
On 25 February 2015, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that it is changing the laws with regard to nuisance calls.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) currently has the power to impose heavy fines of up to £500,000 on companies that make marketing calls or messages if the ICO can prove that these unwanted calls or messages caused, or had the potential to cause, ‘substantial damage or distress’. However, from 6 April 2015, this requirement will be removed, allowing the ICO to intervene in more cases and penalise those companies that are breaching the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations but fall below the current legal threshold.
Continue Reading UK Government announces changes in law in a bid to crack down on nuisance callers
The UK Court of Appeal has upheld a decision of the UK Patent Court where Mr Justice Birss gave summary judgment in an action for a declaration of non-infringement (Nampak Plastics Europe Ltd v Alpha UK Ltd 2014 EWHC 2196 (Pat)). The case, involving rivals in the plastic milk bottle business, saw the claimant Nampak Plastics Europe Limited bringing an action against Alpla UK Limited alleging infringement of its patent for a plastic milk container (ECO1). Alpla, denying infringement, produced a modified bottle (ECO2) and brought a claim for a declaration of non-infringement under Section 71 of the 1977 Patents Act and subsequently sought summary judgment from the court, which was granted.
Continue Reading UK Court of Appeal not concerned with any spilt milk