The Secret – more forum wars

Late in July, Sundberg J found that Australia was clearly an inappropriate forum to litigate the dispute over ownership and infringement of copyright in the film and the book, The Secret.  Now there is an appeal on foot.

To recap: interests associated with Ms Rhonda Byrne commenced proceedings in Australia claiming to be the owner of copyright in the film of The Secret.  Drew Heriot was the director of the film – there is a dispute between the parties over whether he was employed by one of the Byrne interests or the respondent in this proceeding.  In any event, the Heriot interests brought parallel proceedings in the USA.

Sundberg J considered Australia was clearly an inappropriate forum.  Broadly, this was on the basis that it was necessary to have regard to the whole dispute between the parties, not just the component of the litigation relating to Australia.  On that basis, by far the greater amount of damages at stake were those for infringement in the USA (the book has featured on Oprah, amongst others) and only the US court would have power to amend or correct the US Register of Copyrights.  The judge in the US has apparently reached a similar conclusion.

Now, the question in Australia is who should hear the application for leave to appeal: a single judge or the Full Court.  Heerey J has directed that the matter go before a Full Court and, subject to any directions by the Full Court, be heard concurrently with, or immediately before, the appeal.

His Honour considered that the Byrne interests would suffer substantial prejudice if it turned out that Sundberg J’s decision was wrong:

9 However the US proceeding will deal not only with copyright ownership, but with questions of infringement and damages, issues which do not arise in the Australian proceeding. There will be a significant burden, both financial and otherwise, on the applicant in having to contest that proceeding. Moreover, as Mr Batt for the applicant points out, his client’s Australian proceeding was commenced first, seeking a remedy under Australian legislation arising out of events which allegedly took place in Australia. The opportunity for the applicant to contest, and possibly win, the Australian proceeding, without having to defend the more extensive US proceeding, is something of real value, the loss of which arguably amounts to real injustice, supposing Sundberg J’s decision to be wrong. Apart from anything else, victory in the Australian proceeding may create some issue estoppel in favour of the applicant, or give it leverage in commercial negotiations.

Heerey J did avoid the question of whether the decision was in fact wrong.  It was not the subject of detailed submissions by either party.  In any event, experience taught that the two questions could not often be treated in a vacuum.  Moreover, there was a chance the matter could be dealt with in the November sittings if not before.

TS Production LLC v Drew Pictures Pty Ltd [2008] FCA 1329