Element Six Technologies Ltd v IIa Technologies Pte Ltd: Discovery of Documents in Patent Litigation
In Element Six Technologies Ltd v IIa Technologies Pte Ltd, the High Court of Singapore addressed a dispute over the discovery of documents in a patent litigation case. Element Six Technologies Ltd, the Plaintiff, sued IIa Technologies Pte Ltd, the Defendant, for infringing patents related to synthetic diamonds. The Defendant applied for specific discovery of 12 classes of documents, with five requests pertaining to experimental material. The court granted Request 2 in part, limited to calibration documents, and Request 4(i) regarding raw data. Request 4(ii) was disallowed, but the Plaintiff was ordered to provide an explanation on affidavit. Requests 3, 5, and 6 were disallowed in their entirety. The court emphasized the importance of issue-specific information in discovery.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court of the Republic of Singapore1.2 Outcome
Request 2 and Request 4(i) granted in part. Request 4(ii) disallowed, but explanation on affidavit ordered. Requests 3, 5, and 6 disallowed.
1.3 Case Type
Intellectual Property
1.4 Judgment Type
Judgment
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Patent litigation case concerning discovery of documents related to experiments. The court granted specific discovery for calibration documents and raw data.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIa Technologies Pte Ltd | Defendant, Applicant | Corporation | Specific discovery denied in part | Lost | |
| Element Six Technologies Ltd | Plaintiff, Respondent | Corporation | Specific discovery granted in part | Partial |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Yeo | Assistant Registrar | Yes |
4. Counsels
4. Facts
- Element Six Technologies Ltd sued IIa Technologies Pte Ltd for patent infringement.
- The Plaintiff’s claim rests on four trap purchased CVD diamonds.
- The Defendant has denied knowledge of Samples 1 to 3.
- The Defendant brought a counterclaim for the revocation of the Patents.
- The Plaintiff proceeded under the Notice of Experiments Regime.
- The Defendant applied for specific discovery of 12 classes of documents.
5. Formal Citations
- Element Six Technologies Ltd v IIa Technologies Pte Ltd, Suit No 26 of 2016 (Summons No 1654 of 2018), [2018] SGHCR 13
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff filed its list of documents. | |
| Plaintiff filed its Notice of Experiments. | |
| Defendant filed its response to the Plaintiff’s Notice of Experiments. | |
| Plaintiff applied for specific discovery of 13 classes of documents. | |
| Defendant applied for specific discovery of 12 classes of documents. | |
| Hearing for both applications commenced. | |
| Hearing for both applications continued. | |
| Judgment rendered for both applications. |
7. Legal Issues
- Discovery of Experimental Material
- Outcome: The court clarified the principles for discovery of experimental material, distinguishing between work-up and abandoned experiments, and emphasizing the importance of relevance, necessity, and privilege.
- Category: Procedural
- Sub-Issues:
- Disclosure of work-up experiments
- Disclosure of abandoned experiments
- Waiver of privilege
- Related Cases:
- [1996] FSR 595
- [2006] FSR 37
- [2017] EWHC 2957
8. Remedies Sought
- Discovery of Documents
9. Cause of Actions
- Patent Infringement
- Revocation of Patents
10. Practice Areas
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
11. Industries
- Technology
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Element Six Technologies v IIa Technologies | High Court | Yes | [2017] SGHCR 16 | Singapore | Cited for the brief background to the suit. |
| Electrolux Northern Ltd v Black & Decker | UK Patents Court | Yes | [1996] FSR 595 | United Kingdom | Cited regarding the disclosure of abandoned experiments. |
| Mayne Pharma Pty Ltd v Debiopharm SA | UK Patents Court | Yes | [2006] FSR 37 | United Kingdom | Cited regarding the disclosure of work-up experiments. |
| Magnesium Elektron Ltd v Neo Chemicals and Oxides (Europe) Ltd | High Court | Yes | [2017] EWHC 2957 | United Kingdom | Cited regarding the disclosure of work-up experiments and waiver of privilege. |
| SmithKline Beecham Plc’s (Paroxetine Methanesulphonate) Patent | House of Lords | Yes | SmithKline Beecham Plc’s (Paroxetine Methanesulphonate) Patent [2006] RPC 10; [2006] FSR 37 | United Kingdom | Cited for the 'inevitable result' type of cases. |
| Nea Karteria Maritime Co Ltd v Atlantic & Great Lake Steamship Corp and Cape Breton Development Corp (No 2) | N/A | Yes | Nea Karteria Maritime Co Ltd v Atlantic & Great Lake Steamship Corp and Cape Breton Development Corp (No 2) [1981] Com LR 138 | N/A | Cited regarding waiver of privilege. |
| Magnesium Elektron Ltd v Molycorp Chemicals & Oxides (Europe) Ltd | High Court | Yes | [2017] EWHC 1024 (Pat) | United Kingdom | Cited regarding Mayne Pharma disclosure. |
| Breezeway Overseas Ltd and another v UBS AG and others | N/A | Yes | [2012] 4 SLR 1035 | Singapore | Cited regarding the tension between justice and efficiency in the discovery process. |
| Nichia Corp v Argos Ltd | Court of Appeal | Yes | [2007] EWCA Civ 741 | United Kingdom | Cited regarding the quest for full information and perfect justice. |
| Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Publ), Singapore Branch v Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd and other appeals | N/A | Yes | [2007] 2 SLR(R) 367 | Singapore | Cited regarding the principles relating to discovery and privilege. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| O 87A r 6 of the Rules of Court |
| O 24 rr 1 and 5 of the Rules of Court |
| O 24 rr 1(2)(b) and 5(3)(b) of the Rules of Court |
| O 24 r 7 of the Rules of Court |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Rules of Court (Cap 322, R 5, 2014 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Notice of Experiments Regime
- Work-up experiments
- Abandoned experiments
- Legal professional privilege
- Calibration
- Metripol system
15.2 Keywords
- patent
- discovery
- experiments
- privilege
- litigation
- Singapore
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Discovery of documents | 90 |
| Patents | 85 |
| Experiments | 80 |
| Intellectual Property Law | 80 |
| Civil Practice | 75 |
| Litigation | 70 |
| Legal Professional Privilege | 65 |
| Evidence | 60 |
16. Subjects
- Civil Procedure
- Intellectual Property
- Patent Law