IPEC Small Claims to be Case Managed in Manchester

 

Jane Lambert

From 3 July 2023, all small claims in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court ("IPEC") filed on CE File or at the Rolls Building will be transferred to the Manchester Civil Justice Centre where they will be case managed by one of our district judges (see Practice Note: Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) Small Claims Track 9 June 2023 HM Courts and Tribunals Judiciary). 

Unless there is a good reason for it to be transferred back to London (or to Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool or Newcastle which also host courts that hear IPEC small claims track work) the action will be tried in Manchester either in person or, where the parties prefer, by video link with our Civil Justice Centre.

There will be no changes to small IP claims filed in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool or Newcastle or to IP claims in the multitrack.

As a native Mancunian who has practised on the Northern Circuit for many years and who opened on Deansgate the first and so far only specialist IP chambers outside London in 1997, I welcome this development.  As I wrote in A Patent Trial in Manchester at Last - Price v Flitcraft Ltd on 17 Jan 2023 I have campaigned for Manchester to be a forum for IP litigation throughout my career;

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.