Genius Sports Technologies Ltd & Ors v Soft Construct (Malta) Ltd & Ors [2021] EWHC 3200 (Ch) (01 December 2021)

Genius Sports Technologies Ltd & Ors v Soft Construct (Malta) Ltd & Ors [2021] EWHC 3200 (Ch) (01 December 2021)

The application to join representative and non-participating defendants is fatally flawed because the interests of claimants and counterparties are in opposition, the proposed status of 'non-participating defendant' does not exist in English procedure, and the approach is inconsistent with CPR 19 and the overriding objective. All interested counterparties with concurrent rights must be properly joined, and representative actions require clear alignment of interests without conflict.

Citation
[2021] EWHC 3200 (Ch)
Parties
Claimant: Genius Sports Technologies Limited; Claimant: Betgenius Limited; Claimant: Genius Sports Services Limited; Claimant: Genius Sports ANZ Pty Limited; Claimant: Genius Sports Media Inc; Claimant: Genius Sports EOOD; Claimant: Genius Sports Services Eesti OU; Claimant: Genius Sports Services Colombia SAS; Claimant: Genius Sports Network ApS; Claimant: Genius Sports Danmark ApS; Claimant: Data Project SRL; Claimant: Genius Sports LT; Claimant: Genius Sports Asia Pte Limited; Claimant: Genius Sports CH SARL; Claimant: Genius Sports Group Limited; Defendant: Soft Construct (Malta) Limited; Defendant: Royal Panda Limited; Defendant: Vivaro Limited; Defendant: Soft Construct CJSC; Defendant: Soft Construct Ukraine LLC; Defendant: Soft Construct Limited
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
01 December 2021
Procedural Posture
Intellectual Property Claim / Interlocutory Application for Joinder of Representative Parties
Outcome
Application dismissed
Legal Topics
Database Rights, Joinder of Parties, Representative Actions, Copyright, Concurrent Rights
Intellectual Property Civil Procedure Database Rights Joinder of Parties Representative Actions Copyright Concurrent Rights

Case Brief

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Parties

Genius Sports Technologies Limited

Claimant

Betgenius Limited

Claimant

Genius Sports Services Limited

Claimant

Genius Sports ANZ Pty Limited

Claimant

Genius Sports Media Inc

Claimant

Genius Sports EOOD

Claimant

Genius Sports Services Eesti OU

Claimant

Genius Sports Services Colombia SAS

Claimant

Genius Sports Network ApS

Claimant

Genius Sports Danmark ApS

Claimant

Data Project SRL

Claimant

Genius Sports LT

Claimant

Genius Sports Asia Pte Limited

Claimant

Genius Sports CH SARL

Claimant

Genius Sports Group Limited

Claimant

Soft Construct (Malta) Limited

Defendant

Royal Panda Limited

Defendant

Vivaro Limited

Defendant

Soft Construct CJSC

Defendant

Soft Construct Ukraine LLC

Defendant

Soft Construct Limited

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Intellectual Property Claim / Interlocutory Application for Joinder of Representative Parties

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether representative and non-participating defendants can be joined under CPR 19.6 in a database rights infringement claim
  2. 2 Whether the interests of claimants and counterparties are sufficiently aligned for representative joinder
  3. 3 Effect of Brexit on database rights and qualifying entities

Ratio Decidendi

The application to join representative and non-participating defendants is fatally flawed because the interests of claimants and counterparties are in opposition, the proposed status of 'non-participating defendant' does not exist in English procedure, and the approach is inconsistent with CPR 19 and the overriding objective. All interested counterparties with concurrent rights must be properly joined, and representative actions require clear alignment of interests without conflict.

Court Disposition

Application dismissed

Orders

  • Application to join representative and non-participating defendants refused