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8 Merck argued that the NOA filed by Apotex was premature because, as at April 19, 1993, the date on which it was issued, there was no non-infringing activity possible for which a NOC was required; Novopharm could not, at that time, make or import Norfloxacin for consumption in Canada. Alternatively, if the NOA was not premature, it was argued, then certain necessary details were missing, namely, specifics of the statutory restrictions on Novopharm’s licence and an undertaking to be bound by these restrictions. Moreover, it was argued that the supply agreement was in reality a sublicence and therefore infringed the terms of Novopharm’s licence and justified its termination by Kyorin, or, alternatively, that the arrangement was in substance an agency agreement whereby Novopharm would function as Apotex’s agent and thus both would be carrying on unlicensed activities.
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