Vernacare Ltd v Moulded Fibre Products Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 841
Vernacare asserted a patent for a detergent resistant washbowl moulded from paper pulp containing fluorocarbon. The prior art disclosed oil and water resistant food containers moulded from paper pulp containing fluorocarbon. It was common ground that these were detergent resistant in fact. At first instance, the Judge found the patent inventive. Moulded Fibre appealed on the ground that he had wrongly treated the claim as requiring fluorocarbon to be added for the purpose of conferring detergent resistance. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal. Tom Alkin appeared for Moulded Fibre Products.