Xiamen Huadian Switchgear Co Ltd v Powins Pty Ltd

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 29 September 2022
• Neutral Citation: [2022] FCA 1159
• Date: 29 September 2022
• Court: Federal Court

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Xiamen Huadian Switchgear Co Ltd v Powins Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 1159

File number(s):	NSD 717 of 2020
Judgment of:	HALLEY J
Date of judgment:	29 September 2022
Catchwords:	INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – application for declarations and injunctions in relation to alleged misleading or deceptive conduct and false or misleading representations pursuant to ss 18 and 29 of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), trade mark infringements pursuant to s 120 of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) (TM Act) and passing off – where applicant is manufacturer of switchgear panels and circuit breakers (Applicant’s Products) emblazoned with product name (Applicant’s Marks) – where first respondent was a non-exclusive distributor of Applicant’s Products – where first respondent has since begun promoting and selling switchgear panels and circuit breakers (Respondents’ Products) emblazoned with allegedly similar product name to Applicant’s Marks (Respondents’ Marks) – whether representations about Respondents’ Products were made by respondents – whether making those representations was misleading or deceptive conduct or false or misleading – where Applicant’s Marks had acquired significant reputation in Australia as a result of sale and promotion of Applicant’s Products – where representations were made and were false and misleading – passing off established – where Respondents’ Marks are deceptively similar to Applicant’s Marks – application granted ; DAMAGES – where applicant seeks relief by way of prohibitory injunctions, corrective advertising, declarations and exemplary damages – where appropriate to order prohibitory injunctions, corrective advertising and declarations given nature and extent of breaches of ACL, passing off and TM Act – whether respondents’ conduct showed conscious and contumelious disregard for applicant’s rights – where respondents’ conduct deliberate, sustained and occurred after the receipt of demands from applicant that it cease – where respondents’ conduct flagrant and brazen – where award of exemplary damages for respondents’ passing off necessary to punish respondents’ conduct ; INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – cross-claim by respondents for breach of ss 18, 22 and 29 of ACL, unconscionable conduct in equity and breach of contract – where applicant made publications in response to respondents’ infringing conduct – where certain representations arose from publications – inferences arising from representations not misleading or deceptive – where respondents have not established any entitlement under ACL to recover any loss or damage – whether applicant breached express term of confidentiality in sales contract or implied term of good faith in distribution agreement – no breach of contract established – cross-claim dismissed
Legislation:	Australian Consumer Law in Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) ss 18, 21, 22, 29, 232 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 21 Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) ss 120, 122 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) s 54 Trade Marks Act 1955 (Cth) s 66
Cases cited:	AG Spalding & Bros v AW Gamage Ltd (1915) 32 RPC 273 Allergan Australia Pty Ltd v Self Care IP Holdings Pty Ltd (No 2)[2021] FCAFC 180 Allergan Australia Pty Ltd v Self Care IP Holdings Pty Ltd (2020) 156 IPR 413; [2020] FCA 1530 AMI Australia Holdings Pty Ltd v Bade Medical Institute (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 2) (2009) 262 ALR 458; [2009] FCA 1437 Androvitsaneas v Members First Broker Network Pty Ltd[2013] VSCA 212 Ansell Rubber Co Pty Ltd v Allied Rubber Industries Pty Ltd[1967] VR 37 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Medibank Private Ltd (2018) 267 FCR 544; [2018] FCAFC 235 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Goldy Motors Pty Ltd (2001) ASAL 55-053; [2000] FCA 1885 Australian Securities and Investments CommissionvKobelt(2019) 267 CLR 1; [2019] HCA 18 Australian Competition and Consumer Commissionv Lux Distributors Pty Ltd [2013] FCAFC 90 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Mazda Australia Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 1493 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Midland Brick Co Pty Ltd(2004) 207 ALR 329; [2004] FCA 693 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v On Clinic Australia Pty Ltd (1996) 35 IPR 635 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v QuantumHousing Group Pty Ltd (2021) 285 FCR 133; [2021] FCAFC 40 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission vTPGInternet Pty Ltd (2020) 278 FCR 450; [2020] FCAFC 130 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 640; [2013] HCA 54 Australian Woollen Mills Ltd v FS Walton & Co Ltd(1937) 58 CLR 641 Birmingham Vinegar Brewing Co Ltd v Powell [1897] AC 710 BLH Engineering & Constructions Pty Ltd v Pro 3 Products Pty Ltd (2015) 114 IPR 105; [2015] FCA 833 BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Burke v LFOT Pty Ltd(2002) 209 CLR 282; [2002] HCA 17 Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 592; [2004] HCA 60 Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd v Pub Squash Co Ltd (1980) 32 ALR 387; [1980] 2 NSWLR 851 Calidad Pty Ltd v Seiko Epson Corp (No 2) (2019) 147 IPR 386; [2019] FCAFC 168 Campomar Sociedad, Limitada v Nike InternationalLimited (2000) 202 CLR 45; [2000] HCA 12 Claremont Petroleum NL v Cummings(1992) 110 ALR 239 Coca-Cola Co v All-Fect Distributors Ltd (t/as Millers Distributing Co)(1999) 96 FCR 107; [1999] FCA 1721 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW(1982) 149 CLR 337 Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) v Murry (1998) 193 CLR 605; [1998] HCA 42 Commonwealth Bank of Australia Limited v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447; [1983] HCA 14 ConAgra Inc v McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd (1992) 33 FCR 302 Cooper Engineering Co Pty Ltd v Sigmund Pumps Ltd[1952] HCA 15; (1952) 86 CLR 536 DC Payments Pty Ltd v Next Payments Pty Ltd (2016) 51 VR 151; [2016] VSC 315 Del Casale v Artedomus (Aust) (2007) 165 IR 148; [2007] NSWCA 172 Faccenda Chicken Ltd v Fowler[1987] Ch 117 Facton Ltd and Others v Rifai Fashions Pty Ltd and Another (2012) 199 FCR 569; [2012] FCAFC 9 Flexopack SA Plastics Industry v Flexopack Australia Pty Ltd (2016) 118 IPR 239; [2016] FCA 235 Foster v ACCC(2006) 149 FCR 135; [2006] FCAFC 21 General Electric Co (of USA) v General Electric Co Ltd[1972] 1 WLR 729 Global Sportsman Pty Ltd v Mirror Newspapers Pty Ltd (1984) 2 FCR 82 GM Holden Ltd (ACN 006 893 232) and Others v Paine and Others (2011) 281 ALR 406; [2011] FCA 569 Gold Titan Pty Ltd v Lopez[2021] FCA 918 Google Inc v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2013) 249 CLR 435; [2013] HCA 1 Hashtag Burgers Pty Ltd v In-N-Out Burgers, Inc (2020) 385 ALR 514; [2020] FCAFC 235 Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd (2018) 264 FCR 422; [2018] FCAFC 105 ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission(1992) 38 FCR 248 Industrial Rollformers Pty Ltd v Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd[2001] NSWCA 111 In-N-Out Burgers, Inc v Hashtag Burgers Pty Ltd (2020) 377 ALR 116; [2020] FCA 193 Johnson & Johnson Australia Pty Ltd v Sterling Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd(1991) 30 FCR 326 Jones v Dunkel(1959) 101 CLR 298 Knott Investments Pty Ltd v Winnebago Industries Inc (2013) 211 FCR 449; [2013] FCAFC 59 Kraft Foods Group Brands...