SUMMARY
In a significant case for the Nordic fishing industry, we successfully defended a patent, which we had also prosecuted to grant, when it faced an opposition from a global manufacturer of food processing equipment.
This European patent related to the apparatus and associated method for the electrical stunning of fish in a slaughterhouse. Although superficially simple, the patent was particularly complex, with multiple implementations of the invention being covered by singular independent claims.
Our team worked closely with our instructing client and the patent owner. Together, we implemented a robust strategy that covered the commercial implementation of the manufacturer’s method of applying electronarcosis to fish.
Following written submissions and oral proceedings, the patent was ultimately maintained with some relatively minor amendments which still covered all the multiple implementations.
VALUE DELIVERED
The protection of this patent was important for both the client and the wider Nordic fishing industry. The result was of great commercial significance in this field of technology, especially within the Nordic region, which has a strong dependence on the fishing industry.
