The respondent ISP companies had been injuncted to stop the transmission of websites which infringed the trade mark rights of the claimants. The ISPs now appealed from the element of the order that they pay the claimants’ costs of implementing the website-blocking order.
Held: The appeal succeeded as to the costs of compliance with the injunction. The European Directives made no reference to the costs of compliance with such orders, and the issue was one of English Law which would by default ask as to the legal distribution of risks as found by the court. There was no basis for the claimant to look beyond the infringers for their costs, and the rights holders should indemnify the ISP for the costs of compliance. As to the litigation costs, the ISPs had chosen to make this a test case, and took the associated responsibility.
Lord Mance, Lord Kerr, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hodge
UKSC 2016/0159, [2018] UKSC 28, [2018] ECC 29, [2018] EMLR 22, [2018] 4 All ER 373, [2018] ECDR 16, [2018] ETMR 32, [2018] 1 WLR 3259, [2018] Bus LR 1417, [2018] WLR(D) 354, [2018] RPC 11
Bailii, WLRD, Bailii Summary, SC, SC Summary, SC Summary Video, SC 2018 Jan 30 am Video, SC 2018 Jan 30 pm
E-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC, Information Security Directive 2001/29/EC, Enforcement Directive 2004/48/EC
England and Wales
Citing:
Appeal from – Cartier International Ag and Others v British Sky Broadcasting Ltd and Others CA 6-Jul-2016
Appeals by five English internet service providers against orders which required them to block or attempt to block access by their customers to certain websites which were advertising and selling counterfeit copies of the respondents’ goods in . .
Cited – Upmann v Elkan CA 5-Jun-1871
The defendant freight forwarding agent was innocently in possession of consignments of counterfeit cigars in transit to Germany through a London dock. The action was not for discovery, but for an order restraining the forwarder from releasing the . .
Cited – Singularis Holdings Ltd v Pricewaterhousecoopers PC 10-Nov-2014
(Bermuda) Liquidators of two companies sought information from the companies’ former auditors, and in particular their working papers. . .
Cited – The Rugby Football Union v Consolidated Information Services Ltd SC 21-Nov-2012
The Union challenged the right of the respondent to resell tickets to international rugby matches. The tickets were subject to a condition rendering it void on any resale at above face value. They said that the respondent had advertised tickets in . .
Cited – Norwich Pharmacal Co and others v Customs and Excise Commissioners HL 26-Jun-1973
Innocent third Party May still have duty to assist
The plaintiffs sought discovery from the defendants of documents received by them innocently in the exercise of their statutory functions. They sought to identify people who had been importing drugs unlawfully manufactured in breach of their . .
Cited – Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp and Others v British Telecommunications Plc ChD 28-Jul-2011
The claimant rights holders sought an order to require the defendant broadband internet provider to deny access to its users to websites which were said to facilitate the distribution of infringing copies of their films. An earlier judgment had . .
Cited – Banker’s Trust v Shapira CA 1980
Enforcement through innocent third party bank
Two forged cheques, each for USD500,000, had been presented by two men and as a result USD1,000,000 had been transferred to accounts in their names. The plaintiff sought to trace assets through the banks involved.
Held: The court approved the . .
Cited – British Steel Corporation v Granada Television Ltd HL 7-May-1980
The defendant had broadcast a TV programme using material confidential to the plaintiff, who now sought disclosure of the identity of the presumed thief.
Held: (Lord Salmon dissenting) The courts have never recognised a public interest right . .
Cited – Clipper Maritime Co Ltd v Mineralimportexport 1981
Innocent third parties, such as port authorities required by a freezing order to detain a vessel in port, are entitled to an indemnity. . .
Cited – Z Ltd v A-Z and AA-LL CA 1982
The plaintiffs, an overseas company with an office in London had been defrauded here. They sought and obtained Mareva injunctions against defendants and against six clearing banks. The banks sought clarification of their duties.
Held: The . .
Cited – Tommy Hilfiger Licensing And Others v Delta Center a.s ECJ 7-Jul-2016
ECJ (Judgment) Reference for a preliminary ruling – Approximation of laws – Directive 2004/48/EC – Enforcement of intellectual property rights – Notion of ‘intermediary whose services are being used by a third . .
Cited – Totalise Plc v The Motley Fool Limited and Interative Investor Limited (2) CA 19-Dec-2001
The respondent operated a web site which contained a chat room. Defamatory remarks were made by a third party through the chat room, and the claimant sought details of the identity of the poster. The respondent refused to do so without a court . .
Cited – UPC Telekabel Wien v Constantin Film Verleih GmbH ECJ 27-Mar-2014
ECJ Request for a preliminary ruling – Approximation of laws – Copyright and related rights – Information society – Directive 2001/29/EC – Website making cinematographic works available to the public without the . .
Cited – Ashworth Security Hospital v MGN Limited HL 27-Jun-2002
Order for Journalist to Disclose Sources
The newspaper published details of the medical records of Ian Brady, a prisoner and patient of the applicant. The applicant sought an order requiring the defendant newspaper to disclose the identity of the source of material which appeared to have . .
Cited – Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en Uitgevers CVBA (SABAM) v Netlog NV ECJ 16-Feb-2012
ECJ Information society – Copyright – Internet – Hosting service provider – Processing of information stored on an online social networking platform – Introducing a system for filtering that information in order . .
Cited – L’Oreal SA, Lancome parfums et beaute and Cie, Laboratoire Garnier and Cie, L’Oreal (UK) Limited v eBay International AG, eBay Europe SARL, eBay (UK) Limited ECJ 12-Jul-2011
ECJ Grand Chamber – Trade marks – Internet – Offer for sale, on an online marketplace targeted at consumers in the European Union, of trade-marked goods intended, by the proprietor, for sale in third States – . .
Cited – Miller Brewing Co v Ruhl Enterprises Ltd and another ; Miller Brewing Co v Mersey Docks and Harbour Co amd Others ChD 23-May-2003
The claimant obtained an interim injunction in respect of alleged infringement of its trade marks in beers brewed under licence by the respondents. They said the beers produced were of inferior quality, and threatened the brand. The grant of such . .
Cited – Scarlet Extended Sa v Societe Belge Des Auteurs Compositeurs Et Editeurs (SABAM) ECJ 14-Apr-2011
ECJ Opinion – Information Society – Intellectual property rights – Directive 2004/48/EC – Copyright and related rights – Directive 2001/29/EC – Illegal downloading on the Internet – Peer to peer through software . .
Cited – Google France and Google v Louis Vuitton Malletier (Intellectual Property) ECJ 23-Mar-2010
ECJ Trade marks Internet Search engine – Keyword advertising – Display, on the basis of keywords corresponding to trade marks, of links to sites of competitors of the proprietors of those marks or to sites . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Updated: 29 July 2021; Ref: scu.617855
