Patent decision

BL number
O/178/00
Concerning rights in
GB2059196
Hearing Officer
Mr P Hayward
Decision date
18 May 2000
Person(s) or Company(s) involved
Crompton Lighting Ltd v Emergi-Lite Safety Systems Ltd
Provisions discussed
PA 1977 section 72
Keywords
Revocation
Related Decisions
None

Summary

Crompton Lighting applied to revoke GB2059196B on the grounds that it was not new and did not involve an inventive step. The proprietor, Emergi-Lite Safety Systems, filed a counter-statement, but the two parties reached a settlement before any evidence was filed. Following the settlement, the applicant sought leave to withdraw from the revocation proceedings. However, acting in the public interest, the Comptroller refused to allow the revocation to be withdrawn because it appeared that the invention as claimed was indeed lacking in novelty and inventiveness. The proprietor declined to amend the patent (which would have expired anyway a few months later) and so it was formally revoked.

Full decision O/178/00 PDF document12Kb