Ian Karet

About me

Ian is widely acknowledged as a leading IP specialist with particular expertise in disputes. He also has extensive experience of commercial issues including licensing, structuring IP aspects of transactions and insolvency. He is a Deputy High Court Judge and Interim Chair of the Charity Commission.

Ian was a member of the firm’s Partnership Board from 2012 to 2015 and in 2000 founded the firm’s TMT group.

Work highlights

Ian has led on many leading IP disputes. These include:

• Actavis v Merck, a leading case on the patentability of second medical uses and which set a precedent for the Court of Appeal departing from its earlier decisions
• Aerotel v Telco concerning the patentability of computer programs and business methods
• Cranway v Playtech concerning a patent for online gaming
• advising easyJet on the brand licence with its founder
• Tate & Lyle v Roquette a significant case on patentability of discoveries and the of attributes of a chemical product
• Sierra Wireless in an arbitration relating to royalties under patent licences
• Merck & Co., Inc. in a long-running trade mark dispute with Merck KGaA, a German company, over the use of “Merck”