Boost Tel Pty Ltd v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 14 March 2023
• Neutral Citation: [2023] FCA 213
• Date: 14 March 2023
• Court: Federal Court

Federal Court of Australia

Boost Tel Pty Ltd v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd [2023] FCA 213

File number(s):	NSD 164 of 2023
Judgment of:	THAWLEY J
Date of judgment:	14 March 2023
Date of publication of reasons:	17 March 2023
Catchwords:	INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – application for urgent interlocutory injunction – alleged infringement of trade mark – whether prima facie case of trade mark infringement – whether balance of convenience favours grant of interlocutory injunction – held: interlocutory injunction granted
Legislation:	Trade MarksAct 1995 (Cth) ss 10, 17, 20, 120(1), 120(2), 122(1)(b)(i)
Cases cited:	Aldi Stores Ltd Partnership v Frito-Lay Trading Co GmbH[2001] FCA 1874; 190 ALR 185 Angoves Pty Ltd v Johnson [1982] FCA 119; 43 ALR 349 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v O’Neill[2006] HCA 46; 227 CLR 57 Australian Woollen Mills Ltd v FS Walton & Co Ltd [1937] HCA 51; 58 CLR 641 Baume & Co Ltd v A H Moore Ltd[1958] Ch 907 Beecham Group Ltd v Bristol Laboratories Pty Ltd [1968] HCA 1; 118 CLR 618 Bohemia Crystal Pty Ltd v Host Corporation Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 235; 354 ALR 353 Bullock v Federated Furnishing Trades Society of Australasia (No 1) [1985] FCA 258; 5 FCR 464 Caterpillar Loader Hire (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Caterpillar Tractor Co [1983] FCA 143; 48 ALR 511 Coca-Cola Co v All-Fect Distributors Ltd[1999] FCA 1721; 96 FCR 107 E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan (Aust) Pty Ltd[2010] HCA 15; 241 CLR 144 Enagic Co Ltd v Horizons (Asia) Pty Ltd (No 3) [2021] FCA 1512; 396 ALR 633 F H Faulding & Co Ltd v Imperial Chemical Industries of Australia and New Zealand Ltd [1965] HCA 72; 112 CLR 537 Generic Health v Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co [2013] FCAFC 17; 296 ALR 50 GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd v Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd[2013] FCAFC 102; 305 ALR 363 Goodman Fielder Pte Ltd v Conga Foods Pty Ltd[2020] FCA 1808; 158 IPR 9 Henley Arch Pty Ltd v Henley Constructions Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 1369; 163 IPR 1 Johnson & Johnson Australia Pty Ltd v Sterling Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd [1991] FCA 402; 30 FCR 326 Mark Foy’s Ltd v Davies Coop & Co Ltd [1956] HCA 41; 95 CLR 190 Martin & Pleasance Pty Ltd v A Nelson & Co Ltd[2021] FCAFC 80 Medrad Inc v Alpine Medical Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 949; 82 IPR 101 Nature’s Blend Pty Ltd v Nestle Australia Ltd[2010] FCAFC 117; 272 ALR 487 Pepsico Australia Pty Ltd v Kettle Chip Co Pty Ltd [1996] FCA 48; 135 ALR 192 Pinnacle Runway Pty Ltd v Triangl Ltd[2019] FCA 1662; 375 ALR 251 Polo Textile Industries Pty Ltd v Domestic Textile Corporation Pty Ltd [1993] FCA 265; 42 FCR 227 Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths Ltd [1999] FCA 1020; 93 FCR 365 Samsung Electronics Co v Apple Inc [2011] FCAFC 156; 217 FCR 238 Shell Co (Aust) Ltd v Esso Standard Oil (Australia) Ltd[1963] HCA 66; 109 CLR 407 Sigma Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd v Wyeth and Another[2009] FCA 595; 61 IPR 339 Southern Cross Refrigerating Co v Toowoomba Foundry Pty Ltd [1954] HCA 82; 91 CLR 592 Sports Warehouse Inc v Fry Consulting Pty Ltd[2010] FCA 664; 186 FCR 519 Swancom Pty Ltd v The Jazz Corner Hotel Pty Ltd[2022] FCAFC 157; 168 IPR 42 Vivo International Corp Pty Ltd v Tivo Inc [2012] FCAFC 159; 294 ALR 661 Warner-Lambert Co LLC v Apotex Pty Ltd [2014] FCAFC 59; 106 IPR 218 Wellness Pty Ltd v Pro Bio Living Waters Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 438; 61 IPR 242
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Intellectual Property
Sub-area:	Trade Marks
Number of paragraphs:	112
Date of hearing:	13 – 14 March 2023
Counsel for the Applicant:	Mr E Heerey KC with Ms J Ambikapathy
Solicitor for the Applicant:	King & Wood Mallesons
Counsel for the Respondent:	Mr N Murray SC with Ms E Bathurst
Solicitor for the Respondent:	Minter Ellison

ORDERS

		NSD 164 of 2023
BETWEEN:	BOOST TEL PTY LTD Applicant
AND:	SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD Respondent

order made by:	THAWLEY J
DATE OF ORDER:	14 MARCH 2023

THE COURT NOTES THAT:

1. The applicant gives the following undertaking:

   1. to submit to such order (if any) as the Court may consider to be just for the payment of compensation (to be assessed by the Court or as it may direct) to any person (whether or not that person is a party) affected by the operation of the order or any continuation (with or without variation) of the order; and

   2. to pay the compensation referred to in (a) to the person affected by the operation of the order.

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

Injunction

2. Subject to order 3, until the conclusion of the final hearing or further order, the respondent whether by its employees, agents or howsoever otherwise, be restrained with effect from 12.00pm from 17 March 2023 from promoting, advertising, supplying and/or selling internet or mobile telephone services under or by reference to the product names “Boost”, “Internet Boost”, “Mobile Boost”, “Optus Boost”, “Optus Internet Boost” or “Optus Mobile Boost” (the Impugned Terms).

3. It shall not be a breach of order 2 for the respondent to issue invoices to its customers bearing any of the Impugned Terms where those customers have, prior to 12.00pm 17 March 2023, purchased services under or by reference to any of the Impugned Terms.

4. The question of costs of the interlocutory application be reserved for consideration by the trial judge.

5. Liberty be granted to the applicant to apply to Justice Thawley in relation to order 4.

Suppression orders

6. “Annexure A” to the orders made on 13 March 2023 be amended as set out in “Annexure A” to these orders.

7. Orders 3 and 4 of the orders made on 13 March 2023 be dissolved.

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

ANNEXURE A

1. Confidential Exhibit “CBL-2” to the Affidavit of Cameron Bradley Luby affirmed 6 March 2023 (Luby Affidavit).

2. Confidential Exhibit “CBL-3” to the Luby Affidavit.

3. Exhibit 2 tendered on 13 March 2023.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

THAWLEY J:

INTRODUCTION

1. On 22 February 2023, Singtel Optus Pty Ltd made an announcement about its introduction of two new features available on its product, launched in May 2022, called “the Living Network”. These new features were “Optus Internet Boost” and “Optus Mobile Boost”. The Living Network comprises a series of features available only to Optus’s mobile and internet customers on existing plans through the My Optus mobile app. The Living Network is aimed at improving customer experience. Although there was some debate about the date, it is sufficient to proceed on the basis that “Optus...