Bunnings

Another get up not made out

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Mitre 10 has been refused an interlocutory injunction to stop “Masters” using a blue, white and grey get-up for a hardware store. Macaulay J was not persuaded there was a serious question to be tried and, even if there were, the damage to “Masters” resulting from an injunction far outweighed the damage to Mitre 10’s goodwill if no injunction were granted.

His Honour itemised a number of reasons why the claim did not rise to a prima facie case. The main reason was that Mitre 10 was trying to argue that the colour scheme adopted by “Masters” would misrepresent an association with Mitre 10. The problem with that was that both rivals’ get-up included plastering their respective brand names and logos on their get-up. That created a real difficulty when, apparently, other hardware stores unrelated to Mitre 10 used a similar get-up. At least at the interlocutory stage, Mitre 10’s evidence apparently showed that less than half its stores had adopted the get-up in which reputation was now claimed.

You can get a bit of an idea of the competing get-ups from Mitre 10’s homepage and Masters’ homepage (or even better (or worse) try here).

Mitre 10 Australia Pty Ltd v Masters Home Improvement Australia Pty Ltd [2011] VSC 343

You won’t have heard of Masters yet: it isn’t scheduled to start trading until September or October. Apparently, it is a joint venture between Woolworths and Lowe’s from the USA and, of course, Woolworths’ main competitor just happens to own Bunnings.

Back in the “good old” days, we used to bring actions for passing off in the State Supreme Courts. Then, we worked out that by bringing a counterpart claim for misleading or deceptive conduct, we could go play in the Federal Court. Recently, the Federal Court has not been so kind to straight get-up claims (Bodum and Maltesers and Nutrientwater). This resort to the old State court has not led to any different outcome at this stage.

Of course, there have been cases where the interlocutory injunction was lost but the plaintiff ultimately succeeded at final trial.

Another get up not made out Read More »

The patent was valid, but not infringed

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Foster J has ruled that Bitech’s patent for an apparatus that simulates log flames or coal fire in electric or gas fired domestic room heaters is valid, but not infringed.

An essential feature of the patent was that the simulated flames resulted from reflected light, however, the alleged infringements used directly projected light, not reflected light and consequently did not infringe.

The novelty attack failed because the relevant prior art did not possess all the features claimed. The attack on obviousness failed because s 7(3) was not available – the complete specification was filed before the 1990 Act came into force and so the Alphapharm rules were all that was relevant.

Of potentially greater interest, if there had been infringement, Foster J would have found the importer and retailer (Bunnings) were engaged in a common design.

Somewhat bizarrely, on of the respondents denied it had imported the allegedly infringing products, but led no evidence on the point. As a result, Foster J has foreshadowed some consequences in costs for putting the applicant to proof on this point.

Bitech Engineering v Garth Living Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 1393

The patent was valid, but not infringed Read More »