Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Limited [2010] FCAFC 131

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Limited [2010] FCAFC 131

Citation: Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Limited [2010] FCAFC 131

Appeal from: Apotex Pty Limited v Les Laboratoires Servier (No 2) [2009] FCA 1019

Parties: LES LABORATOIRES SERVIER v APOTEX PTY LIMITED

File number(s): NSD 1036 of 2009

Judges: EMMETT, KENNY AND STONE JJ

Date of judgment: 11 November 2010

Catchwords: PATENTS – amendment to claims under s 105 of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) - whether claims fairly based on the matter in the body of the specification as required by s 102 of the Patents Act PATENTS – judicial discretion to refuse leave to amend under s 105 of the Patents Act – whether primary judge's discretion miscarried – disclosure of patentee's reasons for seeking amendment – effect of patentee's delay in seeking amendment under s 105 of the Patents Act

Legislation: Federal Court Rules O 58 r 8 & O 58 r 10(4) Patents Act 1990 (Cth) ss 40, 102, 104, 105 & 112

Cases cited: Bristol Myers Company v Manon Freres Ltd [1973] RPC 836 Decor Corp Pty Ltd v Dart Industries Inc (1991) 33 FCR 397 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Hsiung's Patent [1992] RPC 497 Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc v Procter & Gamble Ltd [2000] RPC 422 Lockwood Security Products Pty Limited v Doric Products Pty Limited (2004) 217 CLR 274 Mallet v Mallet (1984) 156 CLR 605 Matbro Ltd v Michigan (Great Britain) Ltd [1973] RPC 823 Norbis v Norbis (1986) 161 CLR 513 Novartis AG v Bausch & Lomb (Australia) Pty Ltd (2004) 62 IPR 71 Smith Kline & French Laboratories Limited v Evans Medical Limited [1989] 1 Fleet Street Reports 561 Vector Corp v Glatt Air Techniques Ltd [2007] RPC 255 Wimmera Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd v RGC Mineral Sands Ltd (No 2) (1997) 74 FCR 306 Wimmera Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd v RGC Mineral Sands Ltd (No 3) (1997) AIPC 91-366