Royal Mail and another company suing software firm Codeberry over alleged unlawful use of postcode data can have their cases tried together, a judge ruled Friday. However, the judge refused to allow Codeberry’s counterattack to be included in the same trial.
Royal Mail Copyright Case: Joint Trial Approved
Peter Knox KC, sitting as a judge at the High Court, agreed with a request by Royal Mail and Ideal Postcodes to join their claims against Codeberry. Royal Mail and Ideal Postcodes, an address database licensed by the postal service, both accuse Codeberry of stealing their information for its own database.
The judge said it would be “highly desirable” for the two cases to be tried together because there are “obvious overlaps” between the claims. Both cases allege that Codeberry took postcode data from Royal Mail and Ideal Postcodes to set up a rival database. Judge Knox explained that the databases are used when customers buy goods online and are asked for their postcodes, which provides them with a drop-down menu of possible addresses to ease the checkout process.
Importance of Unified Trial
Judge Knox emphasized that it is appropriate for the two cases to be heard together because they both involve significant questions about copyright and ownership of postcode data. He stressed the importance of avoiding inconsistent judgments on a fundamental question of copyright. Additionally, joining the cases would save the court time and money.
Royal Mail Copyright Case: Exclusion of Counterclaim
However, the judge refused to include Codeberry’s counterclaim in this joint trial. Codeberry has accused Royal Mail and Ideal Postcodes of violating competition law. “As the holder of a dominant position in the address updates market, Royal Mail has at all material times owed a special responsibility not to allow its conduct to impair genuine, undistorted competition in the U.K.,” Codeberry stated in its counterclaim.