“Prysmian did engage in a blatant misuse of confidential information to facilitate an outcome where it could obtain a ship built by Vard with the benefit of the Salt design, but at a significantly lower cost.”
“Traditionally, the principle has been that when A breaches a duty of confidence by deliberately exploiting confidential information, B may elect for an account of profits, requiring A to disgorge to B gains made through the breach of the duty, even if those gains do not correlate directly to a loss suffered by B.”
“[230] Focusing on the strength of the interest which the law is seeking to protect may serve to explain why, when the remedy awarded is an account of profits, the test of causation varies according to the nature of the defendant's wrong. Thus, where the wrong consists in a breach of fiduciary duty, a stringent test of causation is applied and the burden is on the fiduciary to show that part of the profits made from a transaction entered into in breach of duty is not attributable to the breach: see e.g. Murad v Al-Saraj[2005] EWCA Civ 959 . A similarly stringent test was applied in Blake's case which involved a promise to keep state secrets. On the other hand, where the wrong consists in misuse of intellectual property, the court's task is likewise to decide what profits made by the defendant may fairly be attributed to the defendant's wrongful act, but the court will more readily engage in an apportionment between profits attributable to the infringement of the claimant's intellectual property and profits which should be attributed to other, non-infringing elements of the defendant's activities: see e.g. Celanese International Corp v BP Chemicals Ltd[1999] RPC 203 . Having regard to the strength of the interest which the law protects may also explain, at least in part, why an account of profits is seldom likely to be an appropriate remedy in an ordinary commercial context.”
“(1) The quantum of restitution 1.59 The starting-point in determining the quantum of restitution is to identify all the gains that the defendant has made by the wrong. This is a factual causation inquiry, which essentially requires the application of a ‘but for’ test: the gain is attributable to the wrong if the defendant would not have made that gain but for the wrong. So, for example, in My Kinda Town Ltd v Soll, where the defendants were alleged to be liable for passing off by using a name similar to the plaintiffs’ for their own chain of restaurants, the profits to be accounted for were only those additional profits caused by the public’s confusion in thinking the defendants’ restaurants were the plaintiffs’, and not all the profits made by the defendants from those restaurants. Similarly in Colbean Palmer Ltd v Stock Affiliates Pty Ltd, an infringement of trade mark case, the profits to be accounted for were not all those gained from the sale of infringing goods but only those made because the goods were sold under the trade mark. 1.60 In some cases the factual causation enquiry will indicate that the defendant could have lawfully made the profits in question if it had paid for the property, or use of the property, from which those profits have been derived. On such facts, the measure of restitution (whether through an account of profits or restitutionary damages) should be the expense saved by the defendant in not paying for the property (or use of the property).”
“6.3 If however, no shipbuilding contract is concluded between the Client and the Yard within the date indicated at Clause 2.3 above, the Client shall be entitled to request the Designer to complete the Scope of Supply, including Phase 3 and 4, by paying the corresponding compensation.”
“The principles are well settled and summarised by Millett J in Potton v Yorkclose[1990] FSR 11 at pages 14 to 16. First, the purpose is to deprive the defendants of the profits which they have improperly made by the wrongful acts committed in breach of the claimants’ rights and to transfer those profits to the claimants. Secondly, it is no answer to such a claim to say thatsimilar profits could have been made in a non-infringing way –see Celanese v BP[1999] RPC 203 at 219 to 220. Thirdly, profits include accrued profits, for example a legal right arises to receive payment, even if payment is yet to be made. Fourthly, where a single head of profit is attributable to a number of causes, some of them infringing and some not, it is necessary and appropriate for the court to conduct an apportionment so as to work out on a broad-brush basis what proportion of the profit was due to the act of infringement. ” (Emphasis supplied).
“Prysmian Group introduces Leonardo da Vinci – a genius in motion”
“(31) As a supplementary deterrent to future infringers and to contribute to the awareness of the public at large, it is useful to publicise decisions, including, where appropriate, through prominent advertising, in cases concerning the unlawful acquisition, use or disclosure of trade secrets, on the condition that such publication does not result in the disclosure of the trade secret or disproportionally affect the privacy and reputation of a natural person. ”
“The Defendant shall display the following notice to all persons accessing the following Leonardo da Vinci page on the Prysmian Group website (https://www.prysmiangroup.com/en/new- vessel-leonardo-da-vinci) from an internet protocol (IP) address identifying the United Kingdom, until30 June 2022 , such notice to be in no smaller than 12-point type: “On30 September 2021 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Prysmian Powerlink SRL had misused Salt Ship Design AS's confidential information in relation to the design of Prysmian Powerlink SRL's Leonardo da Vinci cable laying vessel. A copy of the full judgment of the High Court is available on the following link [link given]. On * December 2021, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales made further rulings in the case, including that Prysmian Powerlink SRL should make an interim payment to Salt Ship Design AS in respect of the misuse of its confidential information. A copy of the further judgment is available on the following link [link given]. The court has not granted any order which prevents Prysmian from trading the Leonardo da Vinci.””