Richardson & Wrench Ltd v Peet & Co Ltd

[1987] FCA 812

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT PUQoI8TRY j No. G 71 of 1987

1

GENERAL DIVISION 1

RICHARDSON & WRENCH LIMITED

A p p l i c a n t

PEET & COMPANY LIMITED

F i r s t Responden t

ANTHONY WAYNE LENNON

Second Respondent

18 March 1987

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

LOCKHART J.

T h i s i s a n applioation by R i c h a r d s o n a n d W r e n c h L i m i t e d ( " t h e

a p p l i c a n t " ) for i n j u n c t i o s relief a g a i n s t F e e t a n d Company L i m i t e d

and Anthony Wayne Lennon . The app l i can t seeks to r e s t r a i n t h e f i r s t

r e s p o n d e n t from u s i n g in its a d v e r t i s i n g a n d p r o m o t i o n a l material a

logo or i n s i g n i a i n t h e form of a n arrow or isosceles t r i a n g l e w i t h

c e r t a i n a c c r e t i o n s t h e r e t o w h i c h , i t i s s a i d by t h e a p p l i c a n t , a re

s u b s t a n t i a l l y t h e same or d e c e p t i v e l y s i m i l a r t o i t s own l o g o or

i n s i g n i a w h i c h i t u s e s , i n t e r a l i a , on i t s p r o m o t i o n a l a d v e r t i s i n g

material a n d l e t t e r h e a d .

T h e a p p l i c a t i o n was f i l e d i n t h e S y d n e y r e g i s t r y of t h i s

C o u r t on 25 F e b r u a r y 1987 and a r e t u r n d a t e was g i v e n f o r t h e h e a r i n g

o f t h e a p p l i c a n t ' s motion, for i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i o n s t o d a y .

2 .

T h e s u b j e c t of t h e a p p l i c a n t ' s complaint arose a s l o n g a g o a s

May 1986. T h e a p p l i c a n t , h e r e f o r e , seeks i n t e r l o c u t o r y injunctive

r e l i e f o n g r o u n d s t h a t a r e o f l o n g s t a n d i n g , a l t h o u g h t h e a l l e g e d

o f f e n d i n g c o n d u c t of t h e r e s p o n d e n t s may h a v e e i t h e r a c c e l e r a t e d

r e c e n t l y or r e a c h e d a po in t w h i c h t h e a p p l i c a n t regards a s

u n a c c e p t a b l e . I r a i s e d t h i s matter i m m e d i a t e l y when I came o n t h e

b e n c h r a t h e r t h a n e m b a r k u p o n a h e a r i n g of t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r

i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i o n s s ince i t was l i k e l y t h a t a d a t e c o u l d be

g i v e n f o r t h e f i n a l h e a r i n g of t h i s matter i n t h e n o t too d i s t a n t

f u t u r e . I n t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , a s so o f t e n h a p p e n s i n cases of t h i s

k i n d , i t would be q u i t e a c a d e m i c a n d f u t i l e t o embark o n a h e a r i n g of

t h e a p p l i c a t i o n for i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i v e re l ief .

Since t h e matter c a n b e h e a r d f i n a l l y i n a b o u t a m o n t h ' s time

a n d w i t h o u t i n a n y way p r e j u d g i n g t h e r e s u l t of a n y a p p l i c a t i o n f o r

i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f , I would need t o be c o n v i n c e d t h a t , n o

ma t t e r how s t r o n g t h e a p p l i c a n t ' s case may b e , a n i n t e r l o c u t o r y

i n j u n c t i o n s h o u l d be g i v e n o v e r a period of one month when t h e s u b j e c t

matter h a s b e e n u n d e r n o t i c e f o r many months. There is n o s u g g e s t i o n

s o m e t h i n g o f h a p p e n i n g t h e i n i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e which would be

d e v a s t a t i n g o r cause i r r e p a r a b l e i n j u r y t o t h e a p p l i c a n t . A f t e r

h e a r i n g a r g u m e n t f r o m c o u n s e l , t h e v i e w w h i c h I had t e n t a t i v e l y f o r m e d

was c o n f i r m e d .

T h e r e s p o n d e n t s h a v e f i l e d a n o t i c e of m o t i o n s e e k i n g t h a t

t h e matter be h e a r d i n P e r t h a n d t h a t t h e matter be t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e

W e s t e r n A u s t r a l i a n r e g i s t r y of t h e C o u r t . T h e e s s e n t i a l r e a s o n b e i n g

t h a t a l l w i t n e s s e s e x c e p t one a r e r e s i d e n t i n P e r t h ; t h e x c e p t i o n

3 .

b e i n g t h e munrging director of t h e a p p l i c a n t who r e s i d e s i n Sydney. I

t h i n k t h e renriblo c o u r g e t o t a k e i n t h e mat ter is t o order t h a t t h e

p r o c e e d i n g 8 b8 transferred t o t h e P e r t h r e g i s t r y of t h e C o u r t a n d t h a t

t h e t r i a l be fixed for 2 2 A p r i l 1987. I p r o p o s e t o g i v e d i r e c t i o n s t o

e n s u r e t h a t the f i n a l h e a r i n g p r o c e e d s i n a n o r d e r l y f a s h i o n .

A 8 t o t h e q u e s t i o n of costs t h e r e s p o n d e n t s e e k a n order

t h a t t h e costs o f t h e m o t i o n f o r i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f

s h o u l d be t h e i r costs i n t h e proceeding. I n e e d n o t t r a v e r s e a l l t h e

a r g u m e n t t h a t ha8 b e e n p u t i n r e l a t i o n t o t h a t a s I am i n c l i n e d n o t t o

dea l w i t h the q u e s t i o n i n d e p t h . A n y t h i n g t h a t was s a i d c a n be d e a l t

w i t h j u s t as e f f e c t i v e l y by t h e t r i a l J u d g e . I n d e e d , I t h i n k t h e

t r i a l Judge , a f t e r h e a r i n g t h e v i d e n c e a n d a r g u m e n t i n t h e case,

would be in a better p o s i t i o n t o d e a l w i t h t h e s u b m i s s i o n s t h a t h a v e

b e e n p u t today o n t h e q u e s t i o n of cos t s t h a n I am a t t h e moment.

T h e r e f o r e , t h e proper c o u r s e t o take i s t o r e s e r v e t h e costs o f t h e

m o t i o n for t h e i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i o n .

I make t h e f o l l o w i n g orders:

1. T h a t t h e a p p l i c a n t f i l e a n d s e r v e o n or before 27 March next

a w r i t t e n s t a t e m e n t of t h e g rounds upon which i t rel ies t o

s u p p o r t i t s case i n c l u d i n g references t o c a u s e s of a c t i o n a n d

s t a t u t e s where appropriate t o g e t h e r w i t h a n y f u r t h e r

a f f i d a v i t s upon	which	i t	p r o p o s e s	t o r e ly	i n	s u p p o r t	of	i t s
case:

4 .

2 . l give leave to the respondents, insofar a s the same may be necessary, to file and serve cross claims on or before 27 March next; they are to be accompanied by particulars of the grounds relied on in support of the cross claims including, where necessary, statements a s to relevant causes of action and statutes;

3 . I direct the respondents to file and serve all affidavits

upon which they propose to rely in this case including

affidavits in support of any cross claims on or before 10

April next;

4 . I direct the applicant to serve upon the solicitors for the

respondents, on or before 16 April next, all affidavits in reply to the cross claim and to file the affidavits as soon

a s possible thereafter;

5. I give the respondents leave to administer interrogatories to

the applicant on any issues in the case that relate to the franchising system of the applicant and to the subject matter of items 5 and 6 in the notice to produce dated 16 March and

filed on 17 March in this matter by the solicitors for t h e respondents, preserving to the applicant the right to resist answering interrogatories on any valid grounds that may h

available. Those interrogatories are to be administered 01 or before 27 March next and they are to be answered b

affidavit on or before 10 April next:

5.

6 . T h a t t h e Cost6 of t h e motion for i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i v e

r e l i e f be r e s e r v e d ;

7. I d i r e c t t h a t t h e f u l l t r a n s c r i p t of t h e d i r e c t i o n s h e a r i n g

t h i s m o r n i n g be p r e p a r e d a n d m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e p a r t i e s

a n d t o t h e P e r t h r e g i s t r y of t h e C o u r t ;

8 . I o r d e r t h a t t h e p r o c e e d i n g be t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e P e r t h

r e g i s t r y of t h i s C o u r t a n c t h a t t h e t r i a l o ’ t h e p r o c e e d i n g s

t a k e place i n P e r t h ; a n d

9 . I g i v e l e a v e t o a n y party 0 a p p l y 0 n two da rs n o t i c e .