header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us

A new era for IP disputes?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2025. All Rights Reserved.
04 November 2010 / Louisa Albertini
Issue: 7440 / Categories: Features , Commercial
printer mail-detail

Louisa Albertini discusses regime change at the Patents County Court

The rules regarding cases before the Patents County Court (PCC) were amended last month with a view to making it a more attractive venue in which to determine intellectual property disputes. This development has the potential to bring fundamental changes to the way in which intellectual property disputes are dealt with in England and Wales, with more cases being brought before the PCC, and cases being determined more quickly and at less expense than in the High Court. However, some commentators are concerned that these changes could dilute the thorough examination of cases for which the courts in England and Wales are renowned.

Need for reform

The PCC was established in 1990 to serve the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the aim of providing an affordable forum for intellectual property litigation. However, despite the good intentions behind its establishment, the PCC was not a particularly popular forum. For example, it has been estimated that in 2006 there were only

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Small firms call for tech clarity as AI looms
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
NLJ this week: Traders’ convictions quashed in Libor shock
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
NLJ this week: Fraud claims climb as courts brace for AI threats
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
NLJ this week: Pro bono power without the red tape
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
NLJ this week: Trans pool player loses discrimination fight
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve reports on Haynes v Thomson, the first judicial application of the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland ruling in a discrimination claim, in this week's NLJ
Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll