Case No. IP-2018-000199

1.The Claimant (“Kwikbolt”) is a small company in the business of designing and making fasteners used in the aerospace and defence industries. It is the proprietor of UK Patent No. GB2455635B (“the Patent”) which claims an invention entitled “Removeable blind fastener”. “Blind” is a term of art in the context of fasteners, meaning that the fastener can be fitted from one side of the workpiece, essential if the technician only has access to one side. I will later say more about “removeable”. 2.The Defendant (“Airbus”) is the well-known aircraft manufacturer. 3.Some of Airbus’s assembly lines use removable blind fasteners made by Centrix Inc (“Centrix”), a manufacturer of aerospace products. More specifically, Airbus uses a product called the Centrix Free Spin Fastener (“the Centrix Fastener”) in the assembly of A320 and A350 wings at Broughton in North Wales. 4.Kwikbolt alleges that the use and keeping of Centrix Fasteners by Airbus has infringed the Patent. Airbus counterclaims, alleging that the Patent is invalid for lack of novelty, lack of inventive step and insufficiency. 5.Mr Mark Vanhegan QC and Dr Heather Lawrence appeared for Kwikbolt, Mr Henry Ward for Airbus.