A Nelson & Co Limited v Martin & Pleasance Pty Ltd

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 17 March 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 228
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 17 March 2021

Federal Court of Australia

A Nelson & Co Limited v Martin & Pleasance Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 228

File number:	NSD 154 of 2021
Judgment of:	FLICK J
Date of judgment:	17 March 2021
Catchwords:	PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE –application for interlocutory relief – whether a serious question to be tried – whether the balance of convenience favours the granting of relief ; INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY –whether serious question to be tried as to trade mark infringement – whether Respondents’ products substantially identical or deceptively similar – defence of good faith ; CONSUMER LAW –whether serious question to be tried as to misleading and/or deceptive conduct for the purposes of s 18 and/or s 29(1)(a),(g) and (h) of the Australian Consumer Law ; TORT –whether serious question to be tried as to tort of passing off
Legislation:	Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)Sch 2, Australian Consumer Law, ss 18, 29 Trade Marks Act1995 (Cth) ss 17, 20, 22, 120, 122 Trade Practices Act1974 (Cth) ss 52, 53
Cases cited:	10thCantanaePty Ltd v Shoshana Pty Ltd (1987) 79 ALR 299 Anheuser-Busch Inc v Budejovicky Budvar [2002] FCA 390, (2002) 56 IPR 182 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 54, (2013) 250 CLR 640 Betta Foods Australia Pty Ltd v Betta Fruit Bars Pty Ltd (1998) 41 IPR 347 Bohemia Crystal Pty Ltd v Host Corporation Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 235, (2018) 354 ALR 353 Boyd v Wild Hibiscus Flow Company Pty Ltd (No 2)[2012] FCA 74 Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd v Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops Pty Ltd[2007] FCAFC 70, (2007) 159 FCR 397 Campomar Sociedad, Limitada v Nike International Limited [2000] HCA 12, (2000) 202 CLR 45 Coca-Cola Company v All‑Fect Distributors Ltd [1999] FCA 1721,(1999) 96 FCR 107 Collins House Pty Ltd v Golden Age Sunrise Development Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 724, (2015) 114 IPR 1 ConAgra Inc v McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd(1972) 33 FCR 302 Conde Nast Publications Pty Ltd v Taylor (1998) 41 IPR 505 Dodds Family Investments Pty Ltd v Lane Industries Pty Ltd (1993) 26 IPR 261 Domain Names Australia Pty Ltd v .au Domain Administration Ltd [2004] FCAFC 247, (2004) 139 FCR 215 E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd [2010] HCA 15,(2010) 241 CLR 144 Erven Warnink BV v J Townend & Sons (Hull) Ltd[1979] AC 731 Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 105, (2018) 264 FCR 422 Hornsby Building Information Centre Pty Ltd v Sydney Building Information Centre Ltd(1978) 140 CLR 216 In Re Powell’s Trade-Mark[1893] 2 Ch 388 Interlego AG v Croner Trading Pty Ltd(1992) 39 FCR 348 Kolback Securities Ltd v Epoch Mining NL (1987) 8 NSWLR 533 Kosciuszko Thredbo Pty Ltd v TredbotNet Marketing Pty Ltd[2014] FCAFC 87, (2014) 223 FCR 517 Mackinnon v Partnership of Larter [2019] NSWSC 1658 Mark Foys Pty Ltd v TVSN (Pacific) Ltd[2000] FCA 1626, (2000) 104 FCR 61 Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd (No. 2)(1984) 156 CLR 414 Nature’s Blend Pt Ltd v Nestlé Australia Ltd [2010] FCAFC 117, (2010) 272 ALR 487 Norwich Pharmacal Co v Commissioners of Customs and Excise[1974] AC 133 Orb ARL v Fiddler[2016] EWHC 361 Organic Marketing Australia Pty Ltd v Woolworths Ltd[2011] FCA 279 Osgaig Pty Ltd v Ajisen (Melbourne) Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 1394, (2004) 213 ALR 153 Pacific Publications Pty Ltd v Next Publishing Pty Ltd[2005] FCA 625, (2005) 222 ALR 127 Patrick Stevedores Operations No 2 Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia[1998] HCA 30, (1998) 195 CLR 1 Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique v Senator Automation Pty Ltd[2007] FCA 1391 R & C ProductsPty Limited v S C Johnson & Sons Pty Limited (1993) 42 FCR 188 Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths Ltd [1999] FCA 1020, (1999) 93 FCR 365 Samsung Electronics Company Ltd v Apple Inc[2011] FCAFC 156, (2011) 217 FCR 238 Select Personnel Pty Ltd v Morgan & Banks Pty Ltd (1988) 12 IPR 167 Shell Company of Australia Ltd v Esso Standard Oil (Aust) Ltd(1963) 109 CLR 407 Star Industrial Company Ltd v Yap Kwee Kortrading as New Star Industrial Company (Singapore) (1976) 1B IPR 582 Trani v Trani (No. 2) [2019] VSC 723, (2019) 349 FLR 261 Ward Group Pty Ltd v Brodie & Stone Plc[2005] FCA 471, (2005) 143 FCR 479
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Intellectual Property
Sub-area:	Trade Marks
Number of paragraphs:	85
Date of hearing:	10 March 2021
Counsel for the Applicants:	Mr N Murray SC with Ms A Campbell
Solicitor for the Applicants:	Gilbert + Tobin
Counsel for the Respondents:	Mr M J Darke SC with Mr D B Larish
Solicitor for the Respondents:	Corrs Chambers Westgarth

ORDERS

		NSD 154 of 2021
BETWEEN:	A NELSON & CO LIMITED First Applicant ; BACH FLOWER REMEDIES LIMITED Second Applicant
AND:	MARTIN & PLEASANCE PTY LTD (ACN 006 935 888) First Respondent ; ALOE VERA INDUSTRIES PTY LTD (ACN 063 710 832) Second Respondent ; MARTIN & PLEASANCE WHOLESALE PTY LTD Third Respondent

order made by:	FLICK J
DATE OF ORDER:	17 MARCH 2021

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. Martin & Pleasance Wholesale Pty Ltd be joined as the Third Respondent.

2. Upon the Applicants by their counsel giving the usual undertaking as to damages in accordance with Practice Note GPN-UNDR, the Respondents, by themselves, their servants and agents and associates:

1. be restrained from marketing, promoting and/or supplying products (or offering to supply products) or participating in any such marketing, promotion or supply:

   1. using the word “RestQ”; and/or

   2. using the packaging the subject of the photograph comprising annexure B to the Statement of Claim filed on 2 March 2021 (“RestQ Packaging”); and

2. the First and/or Third Respondent to deactivate the Facebook account with the handle RestQMP, the Instagram account with the handle RestQ_MP and remove the website www.restqcalm.com.au within 24 hours of the making of this order.

1. The Applicants’ costs of the Interlocutory Application be their costs in the cause.

2. The proceeding is listed before the docket Judge for case management hearing on a date to be fixed.

Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

FLICK J:

1. On 2 March 2021 the Applicants in the present proceeding filed in this Court an Originating Application and a Statement of Claim. The First and Second Applicants were named as A Nelson & Co Limited (“Nelson”) and Bach Flower Remedies Limited (“Bach”). The Respondents were named as Martin & Pleasance Pty Ltd (“Martin & Pleasance”) and Aloe Vera Industries Pty Ltd (“Aloe Vera”). A Third Respondent, namely Martin & Pleasance...