Patent decision

BL number

O/553/18

Concerning rights in

GB 2545414 A

Hearing Officer

Mr S Probert

Decision date

6 September 2018

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Mr Anthony Waithe v Dyson Technology Ltd

Provisions discussed

Rule 83

Keywords

Entitlement, Summary judgement

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The patent application concerns the use of zinc (an acoustically dull material) to form the motor frame in a hand held product (eg. a hair dryer). The claims also require the impeller to be made from aluminium. The claimant sought entitlement to this patent application on the grounds that he contributed the idea of using an aluminium impeller in a hair dryer.

The Hearing Officer gave summary judgment in favour of the defendant because the claimant’s alleged contribution (the aluminium impeller) had been in the public domain for at least 33 years before the filing date of the patent application, and more than 15 years before the claimant said that he proposed the idea to the defendant.

Full decision O/553/18 228Kb