29 Jul 2016
ASSA ABLOY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED v ALLEGION (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED [2016] NZHC 1738
- Citation
- [2016] NZHC 1738
- Court
- High Court
Claim 18 must be read purposively: the patent's object is a latching mechanism configurable to end‑use requirements. Applying the skilled addressee standard the Stella does not infringe because its integral spigots mean it lacks the claimed 'drive member coupled to the snib' which is central to configurability. The Latch patent is nevertheless valid: it was novel and involved an inventive synergistic combination (driver coupled to snib plus dual receiver/back‑to‑back tailbars with co‑axial arrangement) not rendered obvious by prior art such as the Sentry, Albany and other known locks.