22. Infringement

This chapter deals with patent infringement and the scope of protection that the law provides to patent owners. It discusses three criteria that are used to determine whether a patent has been infringed: the types of activity that constitute an infringement; whether the activity in question falls within the scope of the patent monopoly; and whether the defendant is able to invoke any of the defences that are available to them. After noting the distinction between direct and indirect infringement based on patent law, the chapter turns to the scope of protection for biotechnological inventions, patents for a process, and novelty-of-use patents. It then considers the grounds on which patentees may find liability for infringement. Relevant provisions that are found in the Patents Act 1977 and the European Patents Convention are also addressed.