Koninklijke Philips NV v Asustek Computer Incorporation & Ors [2019] EWHC 3463 (Pat) (27 November 2019)

Koninklijke Philips NV v Asustek Computer Incorporation & Ors [2019] EWHC 3463 (Pat) (27 November 2019)

The importance of early determination of the ASUS Defendants' application outweighs the prejudice to Philips, given the potential savings in time, cost, and clarity for all parties; the hearing will proceed on specified legal assumptions to reduce complexity.

Citation
[2019] EWHC 3463 (Pat)
Parties
Claimant: Koninklijke Philips N. V.; First Defendant: ASUSTek Computer Incorporation; Second Defendant: ASUSTek (UK) Limited; Third Defendant: ASUS Technology Pte. Ltd; Fourth Defendant: HTC Corporation; Fifth Defendant: HTC Europe Co. Ltd
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
27 November 2019
Procedural Posture
Patent Litigation / Case Management Ruling on Application to Remove Defendants Prior to Trial
Outcome
Application for early hearing granted
Legal Topics
FRAND Licensing, Case Management, Global Vs Territorial Licence, Patent Litigation Procedure
Intellectual Property Patent Law FRAND Licensing Case Management Global Vs Territorial Licence Patent Litigation Procedure

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Parties

Koninklijke Philips N. V.

Claimant

ASUSTek Computer Incorporation

First Defendant

ASUSTek (UK) Limited

Second Defendant

ASUS Technology Pte. Ltd

Third Defendant

HTC Corporation

Fourth Defendant

HTC Europe Co. Ltd

Fifth Defendant

Procedural Posture

Patent Litigation / Case Management Ruling on Application to Remove Defendants Prior to Trial

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Should the ASUS Defendants' application to exit Trial D be determined before trial or at trial?
  2. 2 Is early determination of the application prejudicial to Philips?
  3. 3 Does the timing and complexity of the application justify an early hearing?

Ratio Decidendi

The importance of early determination of the ASUS Defendants' application outweighs the prejudice to Philips, given the potential savings in time, cost, and clarity for all parties; the hearing will proceed on specified legal assumptions to reduce complexity.

Court Disposition

Application for early hearing granted

Orders

  • Hearing of the ASUS Defendants' application scheduled for 13 December 2019 before Mr Justice Marcus Smith
  • Order to specify legal assumptions regarding global FRAND licence and licensing policy as basis for hearing