Case Summary
Anton Piller KG v Manufacturing Processes Ltd & Ors [1976] Ch 55 is a landmark intellectual property and civil procedure case that established the Anton Piller order, a unique form of ex parte injunction that allows for the preservation of evidence in cases where there is a risk of destruction.
The claimant, Anton Piller KG, was a German manufacturer of electric motors and generators that supplied confidential technical information to its UK distributor, Manufacturing Processes Ltd. Anton Piller discovered that its UK agents were sharing proprietary information with competitors in Germany and North America, enabling them to produce counterfeit versions of its products.
Fearing that if the defendants were given notice of legal action, they would destroy key evidence, Anton Piller applied for a court order to inspect and remove documents from the defendants’ premises. The Court of Appeal granted the order, which required the defendants to permit inspection. This decision created what is now known as an Anton Piller order—a powerful legal tool used to prevent evidence destruction in intellectual property and commercial fraud cases.
Anton Piller KG v Manufacturing Processes Ltd & Ors [1976] is referenced on page 129 of Copper Stopper.