CHANCERY DIVISION
Strand. London. WC2A 2LL |
||
B e f o r e :
____________________
(1) ROCHE PRODUCTS LIMITED (2) ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS LIMITED |
Claimants |
|
-and- |
||
KENT PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED |
Defendant |
____________________
MR. R. HACON (instructed by Messrs. McGrigors) appeared for the Defendant.
____________________
Crown Copyright ©
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON :
"45 In view of its serious effect in extinguishing the exclusive rights of the proprietors of the trade marks in issue in the main proceedings (rights which enable them to control the initial marketing in the EEA) consent must be so expressed that an intention to renounce those rights is unequivocally demonstrated.
"46. Such intention would normally be gathered from an express statement of consent. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that consent may, in some cases, be inferred from facts and circumstances prior to, simultaneous with or subsequent to the placing of the goods on the market outside the EEA which, in the view of the national court, unequivocally demonstrate that the proprietor has renounced his rights.
"47. The answer to the first question referred in each of Cases C-414/99 to C-416/99 must therefore be that, on a proper construction of Article 7(1) of the Directive, the consent of a trade mark proprietor to the marketing within the EEA of products bearing that mark which have previously been placed on the market outside the EEA by that proprietor or with his consent may be implied, where it is to be inferred from facts and circumstances prior to, simultaneous with or subsequent to the placing of the goods on the market outside the EEA which, in the view of the national court, unequivocally demonstrate that the proprietor has renounced his right to oppose placing of the goods on the market within the EEA."
"53. It follows from the answer to the first question referred in the three cases C-414/99 to C-416/99 that consent must be expressed positively and that the factors taken into consideration in finding implied consent must unequivocally demonstrate that the trade mark proprietor has renounced any intention to enforce his exclusive rights.
"54. It follows that it is for the trader alleging consent to prove it and not for the trade mark proprietor to demonstrate its absence.
"55. Consequently, implied consent to the marketing within the EEA of goods put on the market outside that area cannot be inferred from the mere silence of the trade mark proprietor.
"56. Likewise, implied consent cannot be inferred from the fact that a trade mark proprietor has not communicated his opposition to marketing within the EEA or from the fact that the goods do not carry any warning that it is prohibited to place them on the market within the EEA.
"57. Finally, such consent cannot be inferred from the fact that the trade mark proprietor transferred ownership of the goods bearing the mark without imposing contractual reservations or from the fact that, according to the law governing the contract, the property right transferred includes, in the absence of such reservations, an unlimited right of resale or, at the very least, a right to market the goods subsequently within the EEA.
"58. A rule of national law which proceeded upon the mere silence of the trade mark proprietor would not recognise implied consent but rather deemed consent. This would not meet the need for consent positively expressed required by community law."
"I know from the presence of the CE marking on product packaging that the product in question meets all regulatory requirements for sale in the UK. This is because the CE marking shows that the product in question has been formally approved for sale in the EU under the relevant regulatory approval regimes".
He continues in paragraph 15:
"My understanding of the CE marking is that it serves as a product marking which is used within Europe, under the relevant European regulatory regimes, for the purposes of ensuring compliance with the appropriate quality and safety standards. The CE marking is understood by traders, and increasingly by consumers, as evidence of compliance with EU standards. If a diagnostic device is not intended for sale in the EU, it does not need to carry the CE marking. I therefore regard the presence of the CE marking on any particular product as evidence that the product is intended for sale in the EU. My colleagues at Kent share my understanding and that understanding is reflected in the terms of Kent's standard operating procedure".
He goes on to say that he believes that there are operators in the marketplace who "understand the CE marking as a sign confirming that the relevant product meets European quality and safety standards". He then adds that for those reasons, the CE marking is generally treated by all parallel importers "as evidence of importability into the EU and, indeed, of importability for any movement between EU Member States".
"The CE marking is only addressed at European compliance and I do not believe that there is any reason to put the CE marking on a product which is not intended for sale in the EU, as regulatory requirements will be different in countries outside the EU. Indeed, I struggle to think of any reason why a manufacturer might want to put the CE marking on a product for sale outside the EU, unless perhaps the manufacturer was selling in a country where there was no regulation at all and wanted to use some sign of quality to show that it was a responsible manufacturer".
"CE marking is a declaration by the manufacturer that the product meets all the appropriate provisions of the relevant legislation implementing certain European directives. CE marking gives companies easier access into the European market to sell their products without adaptation or rechecking. The initials CE do not stand for any specific words, but are a declaration by the manufacturer that his product meets the requirements of the applicable European Directives".
"CE marking applies to the circulation of a product within the EEA. It is not required for exporting a product to non-EEA countries. You need to check on the particular regulatory requirements or standards that apply to your product in the country in question. The same standards may apply but they may also be different".
"The CE mark is applied to the product by the manufacturer before it is placed on the European market. A CE mark may only be applied to a device for which the manufacturer has signed a declaration of conformity indicating that it conforms to the requirements of the Directive".
It carries on by saying:
"The CE mark is the outward sign that a product meets all relevant new approach European Directives and is therefore permitted free access to all European markets. The CE mark is not unique to diagnostic products and you will find CE marks on electrical equipment, medical devices, even toys."
In answer to the question, "What does it mean?", the leaflet says:
"The CE mark means that the device meets a defined set of minimum safety requirements listed in Annex 1 to the IVD Directive. It also means that the device is manufactured under a quality system."
Again, the leaflet says nothing about trade marks and the fact that it says that the CE mark is, "permitted free access to all European markets", in my judgment says nothing about who is giving the permission.
"The CE mark is seen as a declaration by the manufacturer that the product meets all the appropriate provisions of the relevant legislation, including those relating to safety, and where required has been assessed in accordance with these. The CE mark also means that the product can be freely marketed anywhere in the EU without further control".
"The product's packaging all bore an EMEA licence number which is considered a clear indication that the goods were placed on the market in the EEA by Glaxo or with their consent. It is common knowledge that where an originator wishes to sell products outside of the EEA, they either adopt a different pack design to that used by them in Europe, apply a non-EEA product licence to them and/or attach stickers to the packaging stating that they are not for sale within the EEA."
MR. HACON: One matter arises right away. I do ask for permission to appeal. I recognise that your Lordship has made findings on the facts primarily although there are one or two references to other matters, but what I do say is this. This case is unusual in the sense that it is quite difficult to disentangle facts from law because the assessment, for example, of the websites is again done through the eyes of somebody. Your Lordship necessarily was doing it through the eyes of the person your Lordship thought was appropriate. It needs an assessment by your Lordship, but your Lordship has to do it through somebody's eyes.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I was doing it through the eyes of somebody who had barely heard of a CE mark before today.
MR. HACON: My Lord, yes. One of the matters your Lordship was considering, for example, was whether that person was looking for information on trade marks as opposed to merely wondering whether a CE mark indicates an intention to sell it in the EEA. The two are, to some degree, inevitably intermingled. On that ground, I do seek permission to appeal.
MR. TAPPIN: My Lord, we say this is a very clear case. My Lord agrees with us and we really do not see that there is any point of law that arises or any point of law intermingled with any facts.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: It might be said that CE marks are on many, many products of all descriptions and if that, in itself, could be a consent to putting on the market within the EEA, then that is quite an important point.
MR. TAPPIN: If my learned friend were right, it would have, I agree, wide-ranging implications, but that does not mean the matter is arguable and, just because it has wide-ranging implications, it is right. We say it is clearly wrong and my Lord should not give permission to appeal. It does not raise the kind of issue which reasonable minds could think differently. If my learned friend could persuade the Court of Appeal otherwise, that is another matter.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I am going to refuse permission to appeal, Mr. Hacon. I came to a very clear view otherwise I would not have granted summary judgment. It seems to me that if you want to appeal, you will have to ask the Court of Appeal for permission.
MR. TAPPIN: There was one point in the judgment where I think you said that my submission was that what we were looking for was a state of mind on the part of the trade mark proprietor. I am not quite sure that was my submission.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I may have misrepresented you, Mr. Tappin.
MR. TAPPIN: If it is a state of mind that one keeps to oneself, that is probably not ----
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Indeed.
MR. TAPPIN: That may be something that my Lord might want to reconsider on seeing the transcript.
The question then arises of relief. This is a matter which my learned friend did indicate in his skeleton he might have some observations to make in terms of limited form of relief. When we saw that skeleton argument, we wrote to them yesterday morning asking them to provide us by return with the wording of the injunction they would be proposing. We have not had a response to that.
MR. HACON: My Lord, if it is helpful, I have drafted a proposal. Perhaps I can hand this in.
(Document handed to judge)
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Do you have instructions on whether you are going to ask the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal?
MR. HACON: I can take them now.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I think that would be helpful if there is a question of suspending an injunction until you have made such an application, if you are going to.
MR. HACON: The answer is, yes, there will be an application to the Court of Appeal so that does become a further issue.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Do I have a copy of the proposed ----
MR. HACON: I am so sorry. I gave it to everybody except your Lordship.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: How do you want to deal with this Mr. Tappin? Do you want five minutes to deal with this?
MR. TAPPIN: I am not sure that, with that sort of notice, I can deal with it properly.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: What do you want to do?
MR. TAPPIN: It may be that if we take instructions, there may be a way in which we could find something agreeable, but that may take a little time.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Do you want to do it this afternoon or do you want to go away and come back again? I do not mind. I have got things that I can do outside. You can stay here beyond 4.15 if you want to because I certainly will be. If you would rather go away and think about it, I do not mind that either.
MR. TAPPIN: My Lord, can we park that for the moment. We are going to think about it. I think what we might welcome is a 10 or 15 minutes' adjournment, which may be enough for us to sort it out. It may be long enough for us to work out that we cannot work it out and need a little longer.
The other matter that arises is the question of costs.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: On the face of it, you are entitled to your costs.
MR. TAPPIN: Can I just take instructions?
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Yes.
MR. TAPPIN: Can we hand up a schedule of costs which have been prepared. My Lord, what we are going to ask for is to let this go for a detailed assessment.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Good grief.
MR. TAPPIN: And have an interim payment.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Is that a one-day summary judgment application, £139,000?
MR. TAPPIN: My Lord has seen the amount of evidence that has been put in. Our evidence-in-chief has been shown to my Lord. There was various evidence in answer, a lot of which my Lord has not been taken to because we did not see it to be relevant. A lot of it we felt we had to deal with in reply. Yet further evidence came in from the defendants, again recently. There has been a lot of evidence which my Lord has not been taken to, which was driven by material put in by the defendants. One sees there is a disparity, I quite accept that, between our costs and those of the defendants. We would say that this is a matter where it probably is not something one can make a summary assessment of.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I quite agree.
MR. TAPPIN: On the other hand, we would say there ought to be some kind of interim payment. We are clearly entitled to our costs and my Lord ought to make some sort of order for an interim payment of a suitable sum. Frankly, it is a matter where probably my Lord ought to choose a figure. We would say that something in the order of the costs actually incurred by the defendants ought to be about the right sum on interim payment, given the level of our costs and the level of theirs.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I hear what you say. In principle, Mr. Hacon?
MR. HACON: There are two points of principle. One is that I accept that costs would normally be due and an interim payment would normally be due. The amount however is extravagant. My solicitors have done an assessment on the basis of the recommended rates for City firms.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Do you want to try and push me down below £45,000?
MR. HACON: I think the irreducible minimum in this particular case would be small. Have you got my solicitor's estimate?
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Yes.
MR. HACON: If one takes that as some sort of guide, the usual estimate that courts do on these occasions is to say, "If half of that is the irreducible minimum, that is about right." If one assumes that is its fair price and without any deductions, then the irreducible minimum would be about half that so £26,500 would be the appropriate sum.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I will order the defendant to pay the claimants' costs and I will order interim payment in the sum of £45,000. Do you want me to go away? If you need me, you will send a message through.
MR. TAPPIN: I have seen that my learned friend, in his draft order, has various other matters after the injunction. I do not know whether there is any ----
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I would be minded to suspend any injunction until after the consideration by the Court of Appeal of any application for permission to appeal.
MR. TAPPIN: Assuming that was made promptly in the usual ----
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I would not be minded to extend time to do it. It would mean then that if Kent want to apply for permission to appeal, they will have to re-apply to the Court of Appeal for an extension of the suspension. I will suspend it as far as the disposal of the application for permission so you will have to build that in.
MR. TAPPIN: We will bear that in mind.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I imagine the same will apply to destruction or delivery up or whatever else you have got.
MR. TAPPIN: Yes. If there is going to be suspension, we would ask that there are proper records kept in the interim. I cannot imagine that is going to be ----
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Can I leave that to you to see if you can sort it out? That is the sort of order I would envisage being made. I will be there if you want me again this afternoon.
MR. HACON: If your Lordship is minded to, your Lordship might like to cast an eye over what Warren J said in Sun Microsystems. That was the main point in that application, what the relief should be.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Is that reflected in your ----
MR. HACON: It certainly is, yes.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: All right. I will have a read of that while I am waiting for you to see if you can agree a form of order. Thank you very much.
MR. HACON: My Lord, all concerned are very grateful to your Lordship for the time that you have given us. We have made quite considerable progress, your Lordship will be happy to hear. I am sorry to say it has not finalised because there are problems with some of the mechanics of what Roche seeks and whether that is feasible on Kent's part. I, and those instructing me, had to take instructions.
So what the parties have agreed, subject to your Lordship, is that upon certain undertakings given by me on behalf of Kent in relation to records -- perhaps I could come to those in a moment -- the final order be stood over with permission to apply. I imagine that will happen soon.
The undertakings being offered in the meantime were essentially, first of all, to preserve any records of batch and catalogue numbers of goods bearing the marks in issue, so far as are known to the defendant, and to keep records of batch numbers and catalogue numbers of goods hereafter, either supplied to the defendant or supplied by the defendant to other parties, again so far as are known to the defendant. Essentially, all batch and catalogue numbers of all goods, so far as are known, will be kept.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: How are you going to describe these goods? They are manufactured by the claimants or ....
MR. HACON: Goods bearing the trade marks.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I see. I think that is it.
MR. TAPPIN: That is right. There is only one matter. Again, given this is being stood over with liberty to apply, we would assume that the 14 days for the interim payment are being stood over as well, and the interim payment will be made within the 14 days. I imagine we will be back before then anyway.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: I would envisage that the interim payment would be made within 14 days and, of course, any time for applying to the Court of Appeal runs from the pronouncement of the judgment, not from the working out of the final order.
MR. TAPPIN: Exactly, so time is running on those.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Time is running on those. Instead of saying "Interim payment within 14 days", I will say "Interim payment by 9th March", then you have got a fixed date.
MR. TAPPIN: Yes. The rest of the order will be stood over. It may be best to record the matters which my Lord has dealt with, i.e. costs and permission to appeal, in this order and the rest can be stood over. For example, my learned friend may need something to show the Court of Appeal in terms of order.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: What order am I going to make? Declaration of infringement would be good enough, would it not, to show the Court of Appeal without the grant of an injunction today?
MR. TAPPIN: We could do that.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: If I declare today that there has been an infringement then Mr. Hacon has something to go and show the Court of Appeal on liability, as it were.
MR. TAPPIN: Costs can be dealt with, permission to appeal refused and the rest stood over on those undertakings.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Can you draft something to give effect to that? Is that all right, Mr. Hacon?
MR. HACON: I think that is sensible.
MR. TAPPIN: My Lord, thank you for your time.
MR. JUSTICE LEWISON: Thank you both very much.