NIPC Law

Jane Lambert Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (HH Judge Hacom) J eff Gosling Ltd. v Autochair Ltd,   [2025] EWHC 1687 (IPEC) 8 July 2025 The Parties Jeff Gosling Ltd. ("JGL")  installs a range of boot hoists used to load a wheelchair or scooter into the boot of a saloon car or the rear of a hatchback, van or estate car.  One of those products is known as an  "Apex Assist" hoist . A diagram of that product taken from its fitting instructions appears above.   Autochair Ltd . ("Autochair") also supplies a range of hoists that load and unload wheelchairs, mobility scooters and power chairs from vehicles.  That company is the proprietor of  European Patent No. 2 578 197 B1  (‘the Patent’) for a hoist for loading and unloading an item into and out of the load-carrying space of a vehicle such as the boot of a car.  Declarations of Non-Infringement S.71 of the Patents Act 1977 provides a procedure by which a party who fears that an ...

  Jane Lambert Patents Court  (HH Judge Hacon)  Autostore Technology AS v Ocado Group Plc and others [2023] EWHC 716 (Pat) (30 March 2023) This was a patent infringement action.  The claimant, AutoStore Technology AS ("AutoStore"), complained that the defendants had infringed two of its European patents.  The defendants denied infringement and challenged the validity of the patents on grounds of anticipation and obviousness .  They also sought declarations of non-infringement.  The claim and counterclaim came on for trial before His Honour Judge Hacon in March and April 2022.   He handed down judgment on 30 March 2023 (see AutoStore Technology AS v Ocado Group Plc and others [2023] EWHC 716 (Pat)). The Issues The anticipation challenge turned on whether disclosures of the invention to a prospective customer before the priority date in an email and at a presentation in Norway had been made in confidence. That in turn depended on whether Nor...