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American Cyanamid Co v Ethicon Ltd

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American Cyanamid appealed against this decision to the House of Lords. The House of Lords set out detailed guidelines on when courts should grant interim injunctions. In this case, the House of Lords decided that the balance of convenience lay with the appellant, American Cyanamid, and the appeal
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where an interim injunction was upheld even though the contract between the parties contained a liquidated damages clause. The Court held that the damages clause was a secondary obligation between the parties, and the interim injunction served to enforce the primary obligation present in the
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held a patent for absorbable surgical sutures. The defendant and respondent in this case was Ethicon Ltd, a British company that wanted to launch a surgical suture in the British market. American Cyanamid claimed that this surgical suture was in breach of their patent.
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At first instance, American Cyanamid was granted an interim injunction against Ethicon, preventing Ethicon to use the type of surgical suture at issue until the trial of the patent infringement.
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If it was considered that there was any difficulty regarding the availability of damages on either side, the court should consider the balance of convenience between the parties.
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Guidelines set out in this case to establish whether an applicant has an adequate case for the granting of an interlocutory injunction. The guidelines consider:
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If damages would not be an adequate remedy, whether the claimant would be able to give an undertaking in damages to the defendant.
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noted in 2011 that the threshold for determining whether there is a serious issue to be tried "is a relatively low one".
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The second factor (whether damages are an adequate remedy) has been considered subsequently by the Court of Appeal in
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The points in the House of Lords' guidance have subsequently been referred to as the "American Cyanamid principles".
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Metropolitan Resources North West Ltd v Secretary of State for Home Department (on behalf of the UK Border Agency)
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For example, they are referred to in this manner ahead of the record of the Lords' ruling in the
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If these factors were evenly balanced, the court should consider maintaining the status quo.
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Whether damages were an adequate remedy for the claimant if an injunction was not granted.
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On appeal of Ethicon, the Court of Appeal discharged the interim injunction.
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Whether there was a sufficiently serious (substantial) matter to be tried.
80: 157: 290:, paragraph 16, delivered 1 April 2011, accessed 9 October 2023 228:(4 ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. p. 666. 118:The House of Lords set out the following guidance: 298: 192:. Nottingham, UK: LawTeacher.net. November 2013 51:, AC 396, 2 WLR 316, 1 All ER 504, FSR 593 91:The claimant and appellant in this case was 256:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 26: 182: 299: 225:The principles of equity & trusts 221: 13: 69:American Cyanamid Co v Ethicon Ltd 21:American Cyanamid Co v Ethicon Ltd 14: 328: 79:case, concerning when an interim 277: 264: 215: 204: 1: 190:"American Cyanamid v Ethicon" 175: 143: 7: 163: 113: 95:, an American company that 10: 333: 317:Injunctions in English law 60: 55: 44: 34: 25: 20: 86: 312:English civil procedure 307:English remedy case law 274:version of the judgment 170:English civil procedure 77:English civil procedure 222:Virgo, Graham (2020). 141: 120: 61:Interim injunction 235:978-0-19-885415-9 93:American Cyanamid 83:may be obtained. 65: 64: 324: 291: 281: 275: 268: 262: 261: 255: 247: 219: 213: 208: 202: 201: 199: 197: 186: 30: 18: 17: 332: 331: 327: 326: 325: 323: 322: 321: 297: 296: 295: 294: 282: 278: 269: 265: 249: 248: 236: 220: 216: 209: 205: 195: 193: 188: 187: 183: 178: 166: 146: 116: 89: 12: 11: 5: 330: 320: 319: 314: 309: 293: 292: 276: 263: 234: 214: 203: 180: 179: 177: 174: 173: 172: 165: 162: 145: 142: 140: 139: 136: 133: 130: 127: 115: 112: 88: 85: 63: 62: 58: 57: 53: 52: 46: 42: 41: 39:House of Lords 36: 32: 31: 23: 22: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 329: 318: 315: 313: 310: 308: 305: 304: 302: 289: 285: 280: 273: 267: 259: 253: 245: 241: 237: 231: 227: 226: 218: 212: 207: 191: 185: 181: 171: 168: 167: 161: 159: 154: 151: 137: 134: 131: 128: 125: 124: 123: 119: 111: 110:was allowed. 107: 104: 101: 98: 94: 84: 82: 78: 74: 71: 70: 59: 54: 50: 47: 43: 40: 37: 33: 29: 24: 19: 16: 287: 279: 266: 224: 217: 211:EWCA Civ 229 206: 194:. Retrieved 184: 155: 149: 147: 121: 117: 108: 105: 102: 96: 90: 68: 67: 66: 15: 153:agreement. 301:Categories 244:1180164232 196:31 January 176:References 97:inter alia 81:injunction 252:cite book 144:Reception 45:Citations 164:See also 114:Judgment 56:Keywords 158:Newey J 150:AB v CD 272:BAILII 242:  232:  75:is an 73:UKHL 1 49:UKHL 1 87:Facts 35:Court 288:VLEX 258:link 240:OCLC 230:ISBN 198:2022 303:: 286:, 254:}} 250:{{ 238:. 260:) 246:. 200:.

Index


House of Lords
UKHL 1
UKHL 1
English civil procedure
injunction
American Cyanamid
Newey J
English civil procedure
"American Cyanamid v Ethicon"
EWCA Civ 229
The principles of equity & trusts
ISBN
978-0-19-885415-9
OCLC
1180164232
cite book
link
BAILII
Metropolitan Resources North West Ltd v Secretary of State for Home Department (on behalf of the UK Border Agency)
Categories
English remedy case law
English civil procedure
Injunctions in English law

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