EPLAW PATENT BLOG

BE – Supreme court upholds traditional Belgian prima facie validity test in PI proceedings

Posted: February 14th, 2012

Novartis v. Mylan, Supreme Court (“Hof van Cassatie/Court de Cassation”), Belgium, 5 January 2012, Docket number C.11.0101.N,

The Belgian Supreme Court has confirmed an earlier decision of the Brussels court of appeal whereby Novartis saw its claim for a preliminary injunction against Mylan’s intended commercialisation of a generic sustained release formulation of fluvastatin granted. In doing so, the Supreme Court upheld the established approach applied by the Belgian courts that a granted (European) patent is presumed to be valid for the purpose of obtaining an interim injunction. This prima facie validity is not affected by a decision of the Opposition Division of the EPO against which an appeal has been lodged before the EPO Technical Board of Appeal, even if the patent concerned was revoked in its entirety by the Opposition Division. According to the Court, this directly ensues from the suspensive effect of such an appeal pursuant to Article 106(1) EPC.

Read the judgment (in Dutch) here.

Head note: Philippe de Jong


One Response

  1. BSReddy says:

    I hope the appeal at the EPO was dismissed by the board (September 2011). is it the same one? pl. calrify.

Leave a Reply