Work

The Patents Court hears all cases concerning patents, registered designs and plant varieties other than those heard by the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (which hears shorter, less complex, less valuable intellectual property claims).

Most of the work of the Patents Court consists of claims and counterclaims for infringement and revocation of United Kingdom and European (UK) Patents. Although the Patents Court hears cases involving all fields of technology, the most common technical fields are pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and telecommunications. The most technically complex cases are heard by two judges who have specialised in technically complex intellectual property litigation throughout their careers. They are assisted by a small number of other assigned judges.

Procedure in the Patents Court is governed by CPR Part 63 and Practice Direction 63 (external link) and is described in the Patents Court Guide (PDF).