Profile
Guy is an experienced intellectual property practitioner with a substantial and broad practice ranging from patents, copyright, designs through to franchising, competition law and commercial disputes. Indeed, he has even appeared in a recent appeal from the VAT Tribunal to the High Court. He has appeared in most tribunals including the High Court, Court of Appeal, European Court of Justice, European Patent Office, the Trade Mark Registry, VAT Tribunal and Crown Court.
He has a strong scientific background having read physics and computing at University. He has even written a solicitors’ discovery programme and a chambers’ fee billing programme as well as a complex 3 dimensional graphic modelling programme (in the days when this was cutting edge!)
He has been involved in many reported cases ranging from complex patent disputes through to VAT cases. He relishes being involved in cases which require cross-disciplinal skills believing that one can be too specialized. Yet, he is as proud of those cases where he has achieved a good result for his client without needing to go to court.
He is widely regarded as having a very hands-on and commercial attitude to cases. In early years, he had an extensive criminal practice which honed his advocacy skills. He is now a Grade A Inner Temple Advocacy Teacher and his skills as a cross-examiner have often been remarked upon (see Testimonial & Directory Quotes).
He is the chief author of Intellectual Property in Europe (3rd edition), a book often cited in Advocate-General’s Opinions and is the text book in several European universities.
He is also a trained mediator with a very high success rate, mainly because of his robust “hands on” approach. He has also sat as an arbitrator in an IT licensing dispute.
He is the Chairman of the Code of Practice Committee of National Office Animal Health – a post whose predecessors have been Mr Justice Laddie, Mr Justice Kitchin and Mr Justice Arnold!
He lectures frequently around Europe trying the delicate task of weaving humour with topical IP issues.
He is consistently recommended in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for intellectual property and information technology.
Cases
• AS Watson (Health and Beauty Continental Europe) BV v Boots Co Plc (Infringement; Patents County Court; Trade marks; Transfer)?[2011] EWPCC 26
• Media CAT Ltd v Adams (Champerty; Contingency fee agreements; Notices of discontinuance; Proportionality; Third party costs orders; Wasted costs orders) [2011] F.S.R. 29
• Prosser v Prosser (Committal for contempt; Consent orders; Contempt of court; Debtors Act 1865; Non-compliance)?Where Reported: [2011] EWHC 2172 (Ch)
• Caljan Rite-Hite Ltd v Sovex Ltd (High Court; Patents County Court; Rectification; Transfer of proceedings) [2011] F.S.R. 23
• Media CAT Ltd v Adams (abuse of process; Copyright; Infringement; Notices of discontinuance) [2011] F.S.R. 28
• Deakin v Card Rax Ltd (In Administration) (Artistic works; Bailment; Breach of contract; Copyright; Express terms; Implied terms; Infringement; Joint tortfeasors) [2011] EWPCC 3
• Sun Microsystems Inc v M-Tech Data Ltd (Free movement of goods; Infringement; Trade marks; Treaty Provisions) [2011] 1 C.M.L.R. 43; [2011] E.C.C. 4; [2011] Eu. L.R. 117; [2010] E.T.M.R. 64; [2011] F.S.R. 2
• SAS Institute Inc v World Programming Ltd (copyright infringement, software) [2009] EWHC 3797
• Alan Nuttall Ltd v Fri-Jado UK Ltd (Food storage; Infringement; Inventive step; Patents; Prior art; Validity) [2009] EWCA Civ 1520
• Sun Microsystems v M Tech [2009] EWHC 2992 (parallel imports; trade marks; Arts.28-30 EC Treaty, High Court)
• A1 Lofts Ltd v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2009] STI 2935 (treatment of VAT in a tripartite contractual relationship, High Court)
• Alan Nuttall Ltd v Fri-Jado UK Ltd [2008] EWHC 1311 (patent infringement and validity action; heated cabinets)
• Revill v Trivedi [2008] EWPCC PAT 07038 (joint venture passing off and contractual dispute concerning a white Bollywood dance troupe)
• LIFFE v Pinkava [2007] RPC 30 (patent; employee-employer ownership; financial derivatives invention, Court of Appeal)
• Bailey v Haynes [2007] RPC 30 (Design right in fishing meshes, Patents County Court)
• LABORATOIRE DE LA MER [2006] F.S.R. 5 (Court of Appeal); [2004] ETMR 47 (ECJ) (genuine use of trade mark (John Maycock, Withers)
• Sportswear v Ghattaura and ors [2006] E.T.M.R. 66 (Euro-defence, strike out, trade mark infringement, Court of Appeal)
• Miguel Torres v Cantine Mezzacorona [2005] ETMR 39, (trade marks; wine labeling regulations, Court of Appeal)
• TESCO WE SELL FOR LESS [2005] R.P.C. 17 (trade mark, bad faith)
• Bargain Pages v Midland Independent Newspapers Ltd [2004] FSR 6 (damages, injunctions, passing off; settlement and subsidiary companies)
• Askeri-Acca v IASCF [2004] EWHC 2939 & [2005] EWCA Civ 344 (ownership of copyright in translations; contractual dispute)
• BCT Software Solutions v C Brewer & Sons [2004] FSR 9 (IT litigation, costs, settlement)
• Masquerade Music Ltd v Springsteen [2001] EMLR 25 (substantial music copyright case, secondary evidence rule)
• Dyno-Rod v Reeve
Appointments
Chairman of Code of Practice Committee, National Office of Animal Health.
Directory & testimonial Quotes
Chambers & Partners 2012
In Intellectual Property: "Guy Tritton has a strong following within the IP community. Interviewees tell of the strength of his analysis and legal arguments, and place him in the "first class in that respect." Always "very pragmatic and responsive," he is dipicted by enthusiastic commentators as "solid, comercially aware and exceptionally bright."
Legal 500 2011
In Intellectual Property: Guy "has very good commercial nous and a certain instinct for choosing the right strategy for a case."
In Information Technology: Guy "is persistent in pursuing his clients' interests."
Chambers & Partners 2011 Guy is 'friendly and responsive and quick to turn things around." He has a wide practice that includes IP, IT and commercial work, and is noted as " a fine all-rounder who is able to see the bigger picture."
Recommended in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 for IP and IT.
“excellent at cross-examination and has a good grasp of EU competition law (Chambers & Partners)
“ a savvy operator with an amazing brain” (Chambers & Partners)
“electronics IT fanatic” with “eye for detail and consistent view throughout a case” (Chambers & Partners)
“bullish presence in court and excellent delivery” (Chambers & Partners)
“you very ably won the skirmishes of the barristers certainly with the witnesses concerned..” (grateful client following successful trial)
“He out thought them, out witted them, out talked them, out negotiated them” (testimonial from grateful client following successful mediation)
“Although the time you had to consult the many documents was very short, your grasp of the case was outstanding” (grateful client after plagiarism trial)
Membership
Chancery Bar Association; Bar European Group; Competition Law Association; Intellectual Property Lawyers Association.
Qualifications and Regulations
Qualifications
BSc Natural Science (physics, computing, mathematics)
Diploma in Law (postgraduate)
Pegasus Scholar
Grade A Advocacy Trainer
Regulations
Guy is a self-employed, independent barrister whose practice is governed by the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales. He is registered with the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales (Bar Ref: 22275)
He
has professional indemnity insurance provided by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund (BMIF Ref: 2190/037). Please refer to the
BMIF website for full details of the world-wide cover provided, and the BMIF’s contact details.
Human interest
Married, 3 children. Keen jazz pianist often playing at receptions, restaurants, parties.
Chairman of Rhino Ark (UK) – an environmental charity operating in the Aberdar National Park, Kenya.
Chairman of En-Twyn Limited (start up technology company in field of powerline domestic technology)