WORLD TRADE IP/N/6/IRL/1/Add.1
30April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1881)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
CHECKLIST OFISSUES ONENFORCEMENT1
Responses from Ireland
Addendum
I. ANSWERS TOQUESTIONS ONPATENTS, DESIGNS AND TRADEMARKS
Civil andAdministrative Procedures andRemedies
(a) Civiljudicial procedures andremedies
1. Specify thecourts which have jurisdiction overIPRinfringement cases.
TheCourts withjurisdiction overIPRinfringement cases aretheDistrict Court, theCircuit
Court, theHigh Court andtheSupreme Court.
2. Which persons havestanding toassert IPRs? How maytheyberepresented? Arethere
requirements formandatory personal appearances before thecourt bytherightholder?
Generally theproprietor ofanIPRistheparty whoinstitutes proceedings. Exclusive licensees
mayalsodosoincertain circumstances. Suchpersons maybelegally represented. Proceedings for
interim andinterlocutory injunctions maytakeplace onaffidavit inwhich caseapersonal appearance
bytherightholder would notbenecessary.
3. What authority dothejudicial authorities have toorder, attherequest ofanopposing
party, aparty toaproceeding toproduce evidence which lieswithin itscontrol?
Courts mayissue asubpoena ororder discovery ofdocuments.
4. What means exist toidentify andprotect confidential information brought forward as
evidence?
JusticeisrequiredtobeadministeredinpublicundertheConstitution,unlessotherwiseprescribed
bylaw. Thecircumstances inwhich ahearing orpartofahearing maytakeplace inprivate willbe
where theinterests ofjustice mayotherwise bedefeated, suchasinproceedings involving thedisclosure
ofbusiness secrets orofsecret manufacturing processes.
Theparties seeking toprotect confidential information mustclaim privilege andmustjustify
theirrefusal toproduce adocument toanswer aquestion ontheusual grounds ofprivilege.
1Document IP/C/5IP/N/6/IRL/1/Add.1
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5. Describetheremediesthatmaybeorderedbythejudicialauthoritiesandcriteria,legislative
orjurisprudential, fortheir use:
- injunctions ;
- damages, including recovery ofprofits, andexpenses, including attorney 'sfees;
- destruction orother disposal ofinfringing goods andmaterials/implements for
their production ;
- anyother remedies.
Judicial authorities mayorder interim andinterlocutory injunctions anddamages pursuant to
common law.
Section 47ofthePatents Act1992authorises theCourts toorder suchremedies asinjunction,
damages, thedelivery upordestruction ofinfringing material, anaccount ofprofits derived and
declaratory relief. However, itisprovided thattheCourt maynot,inrespect ofthesameinfringement,
bothaward theproprietor ofthepatent damages andorder thathebegiven anaccount oftheprofits.
Section 78oftheIndustrial andCommercial Property (Protection) Act1927 authorizes such
remedies asinjunction, damages andtherecovery bytheproprietor ofthedesign ofasumnotexceeding
fiftypounds asacontract debt.
Section 18oftheTrade Marks Act1996 provides thatinanaction forinfringement ofa
registered trademark allsuchrelief bywayofdamages, injunctions, accounts orotherwise shallbe
available totheproprietor asisavailable inrespect oftheinfringement ofanyother property right.
6. Inwhat circumstances, ifany,dojudicial authorities have theauthority toorder the
infringer toinform theright holder oftheidentity ofthird persons involved inthe
production anddistribution ofthegoods orservices found tobeinfringing andoftheir
channels ofdistribution?
None.
7. Describe provisions relating totheindemnification ofdefendants wrongfully enjoined.
Towhat extent arepublic authorities and/or officials liable insuchasituation andwhat
"remedial measures" areapplicable tothem?
Aninterlocutory injunction isusually granted ontheundertaking oftheperson seeking itto
paydamages. Ifittranspires thatthedefendant waswrongfully injuncted, theperson seeking the
injunction mayhavetopaydamages tothedefendant. Thismayalsoapply topublic authorities and
officials.
8. Describe provisions governing thelength andcostofproceedings. Provide anyavailable
dataontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheir cost.
Length andcosts ofproceedings varyconsiderably depending onthetypeofcase. Dataare
notavailable ontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheircosts.IP/N/6/IRL/1/Add.1
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(b) Administrative procedures andremedies
9. Reply totheabove questions inrelation toanyadministrative procedures onthemerits
andremedies thatmayresult from these procedures.
There arenoapplicable administrative procedures andremedies.
Provisional Measures
(a) Judicial measures
10. Describe thetypes ofprovisional measures thatjudicial authorities mayorder, andthe
legal basis forsuchauthority.
Judicial authorities mayorder interim andinterlocutory injunctions, Anton Piller orders and
Mareva injunctions pursuant tocommon law.
11. Inwhat circumstances maysuchmeasures beordered inaudita altera parte?
Measures maybeordered inaudita altera parte where anapplication isofanurgent orsurprise
nature, orwhere advance notice ofaparticular application would result inthedestruction ofvital
evidence.
12. Describe themain procedures fortheinitiation, ordering andmaintenance inforce of
provisional measures, inparticular relevant time-limits andsafeguards toprotect the
legitimate interests ofthedefendant.
Interim injunctions aregenerally grounded bytheissuing ofawritorsummons together with
anaffidavit which discloses alltherelevant andmaterial factsinthecase. Aninterim injunction will
generally haveforce foruptofourdays. Thisisdonebyservice ofacourt order granting theinterim
injunction.
13. Describe provisions governing thelength andcostofproceedings. Provide anyavailable
dataontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheir cost.
Length andcosts ofproceedings varyconsiderably depending onthetypeofcase. Dataare
notavailable ontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheircosts.
(b) Administrative measures
14. Reply totheabove questions inrelation toanyadministrative provisional measures .
There arenoapplicable administrative provisional measures.
Criminal Procedures
20. Specify thecourts which have jurisdiction overcriminal actsofinfringement ofIPRs.
Thecourts withjurisdiction overcriminal actsofinfringement ofIPRsaretheDistrict Court,
theCircuit Court, theHigh Court andtheSupreme Court.IP/N/6/IRL/1/Add.1
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21. Inrespect ofwhich infringements ofwhich intellectual property rights arecriminal
procedures andpenalties available?
ThePatents Act1992 inSections 111,112and113provides forthefollowing offences:
- Falsification oftheregister;
- Unauthorised claim ofpatent rights; and
- False suggestion ofofficial connection withthePatent Office.
TheIndustrial andCommercial Property (Protection) Act1927 inSection 150provides for
thefollowing offences:
- Falsely representing adesign asregistered;
- False suggestion ofofficial connection withtheIndustrial andCommercial Property
Registration Office; and
- Unauthorised useofState emblems.
TheTrade Marks Act1996inSections 92,93,94and97provides forthefollowing offences:
- Fraudulent application oruseofatrademark inrelation togoods;
- Falsification oftheregister;
- Falsely representing atrademark asregistered; and
- Unauthorised useofState emblems ofIreland.
22. Which public authorities areresponsible forinitiating criminal proceedings? Arethey
required todothisontheir owninitiative and/or inresponse tocomplaints?
(i) BoththeGardaí andtheDirector ofPublic Prosecutions areresponsible forinitiating
criminal proceedings.
(ii) Criminal proceedings aregenerally initiated inresponse tocomplaints.
23. Doprivate persons have standing toinitiate criminal proceedings and,ifso,who?
(i) Yes,private persons havestanding toinitiate criminal proceedings.
(ii) Common informer: acommon informer hasacommon lawrightofaccess tothecourts
tolayacomplaint andtoprosecute foranoffence inacourt ofsummary jurisdiction
unless statute otherwise provides.
24. Specify, bycategory ofIPRandtypeofinfringement where necessary, thepenalties and
other remedies thatmaybeimposed:
- imprisonment;IP/N/6/IRL/1/Add.1
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- monetary fines;
- seizure,forfeitureanddestructionofinfringinggoodsandmaterialsandimplements
fortheir production;
- other.
ThePatents Act1992inSection 111provides thataperson guilty offalsification oftheregister
shallbeliable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £1,000 or,atthediscretion totheCourt,
toimprisonment foranytermnotexceeding sixmonths ortobothsuchfineandtosuchimprisonment.
ThePatents Act1992 atSection 112provides thataperson guilty ofanunauthorised claim ofpatent
rights shallbeliable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £1,000. ThePatents Act1992
inSection 113provides thataperson guilty offalsely suggesting anofficial connection withthePatent
Office shallbeliable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £500.
TheIndustrial andCommercial Property (Protection) Act1927 atSection 150provides that
aperson guilty offalsification oftheregister shall beliable onsummary conviction toafinenot
exceeding £5.Itprovides thataperson guilty offalsely representing adesign asregistered shallbe
liable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £5.Itprovides thataperson guilty offalsely
suggesting anofficial connection withtheIndustrial andCommercial Property Registration Office shall
beliable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £20.Section 151provides thataperson guilty
ofunauthorised useofState emblems shallbeliable onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding
£20andinthecaseofacontinuing offence afurther finenotexceeding £5forevery dayonwhich
theoffence continues.
TheTrade Marks Act1996 inSection 92provides thataperson engaging inthefraudulent
application oruseofatrademark inrelation togoods willbeliable onsummary conviction to
imprisonment foratermnotexceeding sixmonths ortoafinenotexceeding £1,000 ortoboth; that
person maybeliable onconviction andindictment toimprisonment foratermnotexceeding fiveyears
ortoafinenotexceeding £100,000, ortoboth.
TheTrade Marks Act1996 inSection 93provides thataperson whocommits theoffence of
falsification oftheregister shallbeliable onsummary conviction toimprisonment foratermnot
exceeding sixmonths ortoafinenotexceeding £1,000 ortoboth, oronconventional indictment shall
beliable toimprisonment foratermnotexceeding twoyears ortoafinenotexceeding £200,000,
ortoboth. TheTrade Marks Act1996inSection 94provides thatinthecaseofanoffence offalsely
representing atrademark asregistered aperson guilty ofsuchanoffence shallbeliable onsummary
conviction toafinenotexceeding £1,000 and,inthecaseofacontinuing offence, toafurther fine
notexceeding £100 forevery dayinwhich theoffence continues. TheTrade Marks Act1996 in
Section 97provides thataperson guilty ofunauthorised useofStateemblems ofIreland shallbeliable
onsummary conviction toafinenotexceeding £1,000 and,inthecaseofacontinuing offence, to
afurther finenotexceeding £100 forevery daytheoffence continues.
25. Describeprovisionsgoverningthelengthandanycostofproceedings.Provideanyavailable
dataontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheir cost, ifany.
Length andcosts ofproceedings varyconsiderably depending onthetypeofcase. Dataare
notavailable ontheactual duration ofproceedings andtheircosts.