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United Kingdom

Merck v Merck Sharp & Dohme (EWHC): partial declaratory relief clarifies 2020 order on UK use of MERCK; guidance on 'targeting', discretion for declarations, and interpretation of penal orders

Published on: 07 May 2024

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert
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Article summary

A Merck-y saga—Merck KGaA to obtain partial declaratory relief following Merck, Sharpe & Dohme’s use of MERCK marks in the UK (Merck v Merck)

Merck KGaA v Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC and other companies [2024] EWHC 820 (Ch)

What are the practical implications of this case?

This ruling stops short of laying down hard rules on when a court should exercise its discretion to issue declaratory relief, but it does consolidate several important authorities on the topic. The court referenced the following decisions:

  • Nokia Corp v InterDigital Technology Corp [2006] EWCA Civ 1618
  • Financial Services Authority v Rourke [2001] Lexis Citation 2268
  • Amstrad Consumer Electronics Plc v British Phonographic Industry Ltd [1985] Lexis Citation 1288
  • Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini [2003] EWHC 3350 (Comm) (not reported by LexisNexis®)

Jones J found the approach in Bank St Petersburg v Arkhangelsky [2014] EWHC 574 (Ch) particularly persuasive. In that judgment, Hildyard J explained that, when determining whether to grant declaratory relief, the central considerations are whether the order would achieve: ‘justice to the claimant, justice to the defendant, whether the declaration would serve a useful purpose, and whether there are any other special reasons why or...

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