NIPC Law

We have all given a warm welcome to the small intellectual property claims track but, as I warned in "The New Small IP Claims Jurisdiction" on 5 March 2012, there are likely to be a lot of claims against little people in the new tribunal.  I mentioned claims by photo libraries in my article but there may well be a torrent  (apologies for the pun) of claims against file sharers too. An indication that could happen is  Golden Eye (International) Ltd and Others v Telefonica UK Ltd [2012] EWHC 723 (Ch) (26 March 2012). Importance of the Case This was a claim by Golden Eye (International) Ltd. and 13 other claimants against O2   (the trading name of Telefonica UK Ltd) for Norwich Pharmacal orders. These are orders requiring a person who is not himself a wrongdoer but who has documents or information identifying wrongdoers to make that information available to an injured party.   The jurisdiction takes its name from the appeal in  Norwich Pharmacal...

Almost exactly 160 years after its establishment, the Intellectual Property Office is to sever its last links with London. "Ever since the opening of Concept House in Newport it has been difficult to justify the Bloomsbury annexe" said Lawrence Smith Higgins on behalf of the Comptroller. "It is now used largely as a video conferencing studio for hearings with the occasional mediation and seminar. With the need to make economies across the board this expense, which has largely been for the convenience of London based intellectual property practitioners, can no longer be borne by hard pressed taxpayers throughout the country." Initial reactions from the professions have been mixed.  "Outrageous" fumed a spokesman from the CIPA.  "I should like to know how we are supposed to commute to Newport on scale fees" mused patent and TM agent Richard Gallafent. "But I don't mind too much as we have an office in Llareggub."   "Paddingt...