NIPC Law

Premier Inn at Salford Author Peter McDermott   Licence CC BY-SA 2.0   Source Wikimedia Commons   Jane Lambert Chancery Division (Lance Ashworth KC)  easyGroup Ltd v Premier Inn Hotels Ltd [2025] EWHC 2229 (Ch) (29 Aug 2025) This was a claim for trade mark infringemen t under s.10 (2) and (3) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 and a counterclaim for two of the claimant's marks to be declared invalid under s.47  of the Act.  The action and counterclaim came before Mr Lance Ashworth KC sitting as a deputy judge of the High Court.  The learned deputy judge tried the action between 1 and 8 April 20'25.   The defendant did not press its counterclaim at first instance in view of the Court of Appeal's judgment in Comic Enterprises Limited v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation [2016] EWCA Civ 455, but reserved the right to do so on appeal.  Mr Ashworth delivered his judgment in  easyGroup Ltd v Premier Inn Hotels Ltd  [2025] EWHC 2229 ...

Saints Cyril and Methodius, Creators of the Glagolitic Alphabet, Forerunner of Cyrillic Author Z Zograf  Public Domain  Source Wikimedia Commons   Jane Lambert Chancery Division (David Stone)  Lish v The Northern Block Ltd and Another [2025] EWHC 2172 (Ch) (22 Aug 2025) This was an application by the defendants, The Northern Block Ltd.  and Jonathan Hill, its director and shareholder, for the striking out and/or summary judgment in claims by Mariya Vasilyevna Lish for breach of contract, breach of obligations following acceptance of a CPR Part 36 offer and copyright infringement.  The application was heard by Mr David Stone sitting as a deputy judge of the High Court on 15 July 2025. He delivered judgment in  Lish v The Northern Block Ltd and Another  [2025] EWHC 2172 (Ch) on 22 Aug 2025.  He dismissed the application for summary judgment but allowed the strikeout applications.  The Background Northern Block is a type foundry which su...

Office of the President of the University of California Author Coolcaesar   Licence CC BY-SA 4.0    Source Wikimedia Common s   Jane Lambert Court of Appeal (Lords Justices Arnold, Snowden and Zacaroli)  Accord Healthcare Ltd and others v Regents of the University of California and another [2025] EWCA Civ 936 (23 July 2025) This was an appeal by Accord Healthcare Limited and other generic pharmaceutical manufacturers against Mr Justice Mellor's dismissal of their claims for revocation of European Patent (UK) No. 1 893 196 (“the patent”) and SPC No. SPC/GB13/079 (“the SPC”)  on grounds of obviousness , implausibility and insufficiency in Accord Healthcare Ltd and others v Regents of the University of California and another [2024] EWHC 2524 (Pat) (8 Oct 2024). They appealed with the permission of Lord Justice Arnold.  His lordship heard the appeal with Lord Justice Snowden and Lord Justice Zacaroli on 2 July 2025.  The Lord Justices handed...