Intellectual Property and Article 81

No-challenge clauses

para 8.192 In Knorr-Bremse [2008] EWHC 156, which concerned an application whereby the defendant disputed the jurisdiction of the English court, an issue rose whether a no-challenge clause in a settlement agreement prevented the claimant from raising the validity of a European patent in English proceedings. The High Court of England held that there was a good arguable case that the clause was contrary to Art.81 (applying Bayer v Sullhofer) on the grounds that the relevant market was oligopolistic.

para.8.124 See Knorr-Bremse [2008] EWHC 156 where the High Ct. held, applying Bayer v Sullhofer, that there was a good arguable case that a no-challenge clause in a patent litigation settlement agreement was contrary to Art.81