The Hague Patent Court conducts first virtual hearing in Brinkhof patent case

The Dutch specialized patent courts in The Hague have adjusted their hearing practices due to the closure of physical court buildings resulting from the COVID-19 situation. On April 21, last The Hague court conducted its first oral proceedings over a video conferencing platform, in a patent case between plaintiff Sisvel and defendants Oppo, OnePlus, BBK and Wiko. The court’s technical facilities made it possible for experts and clients to attend and participate in the hearing from Beijing to Amsterdam to Chicago. Access to third-party observers was made possible on request. Of course, a virtual hearing is not the same thing as physical presence. It does change some of the dynamics of the hearing, and it also requires finding the right way to communicate with remote team members, clients and experts. But these are things we all will get used to quickly. All in all, if the COVID situation will continue to require hearings to be conducted remotely in the near future, Brinkhof is ready for this important innovation in litigation.

*picture taken during preparations before the hearing started*