NIPC Law

In Transposing the Trade Secrets Directive into English Law: Confidentiality Agreements5 Feb 2018 I advised that it would be prudent to ensure that non-confidentiality agreements and clauses complied with Directive (EU) 2016/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure (the trade secrets directive) as well as the law of confidence. I gave more specific advice in Trade Secrecy Law changes Tomorrow - check your NDA, Standard Terms and other Agreements8 June 2018 NIPC Inventors Club and Checking your Confidentiality Clauses and Agreements for Compliance with the Trade Secrets Directive27 June 2018 NIPC News.

I have now received my first sets of instructions to draft and review confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements in the light of the trade secrets directive.  I have applied what I have learned through carrying out those instr…

Jane Lambert

On 13 March 2018 the British government deposited with the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO") an instrument of ratification of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs ("the Hague Agreement").  The deposit of that instrument enabled the UK to join the Hague system for the registration of industrial designs from 13 June 2018.  The Hague system allows businesses to register up to 100 designs in 69 countries in a single application.

The Hague system is not entirely new to British business as the European Union has been party to the Hague Agreement since 1 Jan 2008.  The EU's participation in the Hague system works well for businesses that want to protect their designs throughout the whole EU as well as other parties to the Hague Agreement but Community design registration is an unnecessary expense for businesses that seek protection only in the UK and a…

Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (HH Judge Hacon) The Military Mutual Ltd v Police Mutual Assurance Society Ltd and others [2018] EWHC 1575 (IPEC) (22 June 2018)

The claimant arranges insurance and mortgages for past and present members of the armed forces.  On the "About Us" page of its website, it describers itself as "a Mutual set up to provide fair, financial services such as Home, Landlord, Military Kit and Business cover to those who are serving, veterans, families and supporters of our armed forces." Note the use of the big letter "M" in mutual,  That is a big part of the company's ethos.  It says that its "manifesto is very simple: always do the right thing for our Members."  The company has no shareholders or employees and is led in the main by retired senior officers who describe themselves as "customers and Members".  Anybody who acquires a policy or mortgage through the claimant company can become a member.   Its …

Jane Lambert

A press release issued by the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts caught my eye with the headline "Designer Courts". It referred to a cooperation agreement between the Dubai Design and Fashion Council and the Dubai Dispute Resolution Authority which was signed on 15 March 2017 "to pave the way for wider adoption of the English language, international law courts system by Dubai’s fast-developing design and fashion sector."    More

Jane Lambert

Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (Mr David Stone) MEI Fields Designs Ltd v Saffron Cards and Gifts Ltd and another [2018] EWHC 1332 (IPEC) (6 June 2018)

This was an action for the infringement of copyright with a counterclaim for a declaration of non-infringement.  The copyrights in question subsisted in artwork for greetings cards that had been created by Mel Fields ("Mrs Fields"). The  main issue in this case was over who owned those copyrights rather than whether they had been infringed. Indeed, Mr David Stone, the deputy judge who tried the action and counterclaim remarked at para [19] of his judgment:  "unusually for a copyright case, I was never actually taken to the allegedly infringing cards at issue in these proceedings."

The Facts
Mrs Fields worked as design director of a company called Metropolis Worldwide Ltd ("Metropolis"). The company distributed cards that had been produced by third parties including a bespoke postcard ran…

Jane Lambert

A lot happened in July. First, the resignations of the Rt Hon David Davis MP, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP and a number of other ministers. Secondly, the publication of white papers on The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Unionand Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union.   Thirdly, the Prime Minister and her ministers have visited the capitals of other EU member states to canvass support for the future relationship white paper's proposals. Finally, active preparations have begun here and in the rest of the EU for the UK's withdrawal from the EU without a withdrawal agreement.   More