67.Section 70 provides a remedy for any persons who are aggrieved by groundless threats being made to bring infringement proceedings. In certain circumstances they may bring a claim against the person making the threat (including a claim for damages). Section 12 amends section 70 to further limit the circumstances in which such a claim may successfully be made.
68.Subsection (2) replaces existing section 70(2) with new section 70(2) and (2A). These new subsections essentially restate the existing section 70(2), which lays down the conditions for obtaining the relief claimed, but then provide a limited additional defence for a patent proprietor, or other person, who is being sued for making such groundless threats. Under the existing section 70(2), a patent proprietor (or anyone else) who is sued for making groundless threats may successfully defend themselves by proving that the person threatened was in fact committing an infringing act. However, such a defence will fail if the person threatened can show that the patent is actually invalid in a relevant respect (so that he has a defence to the allegation of infringement).
69.New section 70(2) and (2A) gives the person being sued for making groundless threats an additional defence in these circumstances. Where the patent is found to be invalid, the defendant is not liable if he can show, firstly, that an infringement of the kind alleged was taking place, and secondly, that he did not know or have reason to suspect, at the time he made the threats, that the patent was invalid. New section 70(2A) makes clear that the onus continues to be on the person bringing the claim to show that the patent is invalid, once the infringing acts have been established. It also makes clear that the onus is on the defendant (e.g. the patent proprietor) to show that such infringing acts were taking place, and that he did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the patent was invalid.
70.Subsection (3) substitutes a new section 70(4) which extends the protection against claims for groundless threats which is available under the existing section 70(4). Firstly, the provisions of the current section 70(4) are retained in the form of new section 70(4)(a). Thus it remains the case that a person (e.g. the patent proprietor) is protected from a claim under section 70 as long as he threatens someone with infringement proceedings only in respect of an act which is alleged to consist of making or importing the patented product for disposal or of using the patented process (sometimes called acts of “primary” as opposed to “secondary” infringement). However, under the new section 70(4)(b) the protection is now extended to threats to bring proceedings in respect of any other act of infringement – such as selling or stocking the patented product or offering the patented process for use – provided that the person being threatened has made or imported that product for disposal (or used that process).
71.Thus where the proprietor is unsure whether the person he has found is manufacturing or importing the product, or using the process, under dispute he can (as before) safely make threats only in respect of alleged acts of primary infringement. However, if the proprietor has found the person who is manufacturing or importing the product for disposal (or using the process) he is now free to raise with that person any alleged infringement (whether primary or secondary). In neither case is it necessary to establish that the behaviour in question actually infringes the patent.
72.Subsection (4) substitutes a new section 70(5), thereby enlarging the definition of acts which cannot be construed as a threat to bring proceedings. These now include (a) providing any purely factual information about the patent (and not as before merely the notification of its existence); (b) making enquiries to find out if there has been a primary infringement and, if so, by whom; and (c) making assertions about the patent for the purpose of making such enquiries. Thus it is envisaged that an enquirer will be able to make assertions regarding an alleged primary infringement, as part of his attempt to trace the primary infringer; but assertions regarding an alleged secondary infringement would not necessarily be excluded from the definition of “threat”. Whether an assertion does in fact amount to a threat can of course be decided only by considering all the relevant circumstances.
73.Subsection (5) inserts a new section 70(6) which provides a defence to a claim under section 70 in certain limited circumstances, even where a threat is made against an alleged secondary infringer. Thus it may be that someone has already made his best endeavours to discover the identity of the alleged primary infringer, but has not met with success. In those circumstances, it will be possible for the proprietor to approach, for example, a retailer or stockist, in order to get the infringement dispute resolved (and in doing so threaten the latter with infringement proceedings). However, to enjoy such a defence, the person making the threat must have notified the person he threatens of the efforts he has made to trace the alleged primary infringer.