Journalist Proves That Patents Aren't Boring

One of the IPKat's dearest friends has sent him this link to a delightful article inward The Guardian on the resignation of Mr Justice Laddie (blogged past times the IPKat before this week). It was written past times a journalist who took himself downwardly to the Patents Court to run across for himself whether judging patent cases was genuinely irksome or not. In the case, ane of the final to last heard past times Laddie J before he "retires" to his novel consultancy, Hewlett-Packard charged Expansys amongst buying its products inward the Far East together with transportation them dorsum for sale at higher, European-level prices inward the UK, infringing its patent rights inward the process. Here's an extract:

The atmosphere is rattling chummy. Mr Mellor [counsel for Hewlett-Packard] made his disputation amongst a smiling playing on his lips. There was lots of banter. "I'm afraid I didn't direct maintain fourth dimension to read all your submissions relating to anti-trust issues," said the judge. "Very sensible", said Mr Mellor. Polite laughter from the other fifteen - yes, fifteen - barristers, lawyers together with judicial box-carriers inward court.

James Mellor, demonstrating his 'Mona Lisa' smile

The defense forcefulness was inward the hands of Mr Roughton, a to a greater extent than upper-crust course of pedagogy of chap together with clearly a favourite of Mr Justice Laddie. "It's e'er a pleasance to direct maintain you lot inward courtroom because you lot are such a gentleman," he told the barrister, "so I don't similar to last cruel ..." But he was: he told Mr Roughton, inward effect, that the signal he was making virtually H-P consenting to the resale of its goods was nonsense.

Ashley Roughton: "a pleasance inward court" - only a target for nautical metaphors

"I convey that the boat that I am putting out doesn't become rattling far," said Mr Roughton. "Mr Mellor seems to intend that it sank inward the dock before you lot fifty-fifty untied the ropes," said the judge. The nautical metaphor was continued for a practiced 5 minutes, to appreciative grins all round. This was proving quite practiced fun, together with non irksome at all.

knew all along that the Patents Court wasn't boring. Merpel says, "But who volition supervene upon Sir Hugh Laddie inward the Patents Court?" Some smart wags are suggesting that, inward thought of the unwillingness/unsuitability of together with then many patent silks to ascend to the Bench, it's fourth dimension to appoint a senior IP solicitor. Wouldn't it last delicious if that appointee were individual of intelligence, wit together with integrity, highly respected past times all branches of the IP professions ... Tony Willoughby, inward fact.