FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
Samsonite IP Holdings S.a.r.l v Tosca Travelgoods (Aust) Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 7
File number: NSD 622 of 2015 Judge: ROBERTSON J Date of judgment: 15 January 2016 Catchwords: TRADE MARKS – appeal from decision of Registrar of Trade Marks to refuse registration of trade mark – respondent no longer presses claim that it is owner of mark sought to be registered by applicant by reason of respondent’s prior registration of its mark for same goods – consent orders Date of hearing: Determined on the papers Date of last submissions: 24 December 2015 Registry: New South Wales Division: General Division National Practice Area: Intellectual Property Sub-area: Trade Marks Category: Catchwords Number of paragraphs: 5 Counsel for the Applicant: Mr MR Hall SC Solicitor for the Applicant: Banki Haddock Fiora Counsel for the Respondent: Ms S Gatford Solicitor for the Respondent: M+K Lawyers ORDERS
NSD 622 of 2015 BETWEEN: SAMSONITE IP HOLDINGS S.A.R.L
ApplicantAND: TOSCA TRAVELGOODS (AUST) PTY LTD (ACN 006 433 469)
Respondent
JUDGE:
ROBERTSON J
DATE OF ORDER:
8 JANUARY 2016
BY CONSENT, THE COURT ORDERS THAT:
1.The decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks by her delegate Iain Campbell Thompson given on 8 May 2015 (Decision 2015 ATMO 39) be set aside.
2.Australian Trade Mark Application number 1442121 for COSMOLITE in class 18 proceed to registration.
3.The proceedings be otherwise dismissed.
4.Each party to pay its own costs.
Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
ROBERTSON J:
In this appeal from a decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks to refuse registration of the applicant’s trade mark COSMOLITE, for “luggage” in Class 18, the parties have agreed on certain orders setting aside that decision.
The Registrar found that the respondent was the owner of the COSMOLITE mark by reason of its prior registration of COSMO for the same goods (luggage). The respondent no longer presses that claim and is content for the applicant’s COSMOLITE mark to proceed to registration.
The Registrar has been notified of the proposed disposition of the appeal and does not wish to be heard.
The orders on which the parties have agreed are:
By consent, order that:
1.The decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks by her delegate Iain Campbell Thompson given on 8 May 2015 (Decision 2015 ATMO 39) be set aside.
2.Australian Trade Mark Application number 1442121 for COSMOLITE in class 18 proceed to registration.
3.The proceedings be otherwise dismissed.
4. Each party to pay its own costs.
In the circumstances I have set out, the orders are appropriate and I have made those orders.
I certify that the preceding five (5) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice Robertson. Associate:
Dated: 15 January 2016
- AGLC
- Samsonite IP Holdings S.a.r.l v Tosca Travelgoods (Aust) Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 7
- Case
- [2016] FCA 7
- Decision Date
CaseChat Overview and Summary
The court was tasked with determining whether the Registrar's decision to refuse registration was correct. A key issue was whether the respondent's previous registration of a similar mark provided sufficient grounds to refuse the applicant's application. Another important consideration was whether the respondent’s withdrawal of its prior claim affected the outcome of the appeal.
The Federal Court found that the Registrar's decision was flawed. The court held that the respondent’s prior registration of a similar mark did not justify the refusal of the applicant's registration, especially since the respondent had withdrawn its claim of ownership. The court concluded that the Registrar had not properly assessed the impact of the respondent's withdrawal on the application for registration. Consequently, the court set aside the Registrar’s decision, allowing the applicant's trade mark application to proceed to registration.
The court's orders included setting aside the Registrar’s decision, directing that the trade mark application number 1442121 for "COSMOLITE" in class 18 proceed to registration, and dismissing the proceedings otherwise. Each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
Orders
Orders of the court
1. The decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks by her delegate Iain Campbell Thompson given on 8 May 2015 (Decision 2015 ATMO 39) be set aside.
2. Australian Trade Mark Application number 1442121 for COSMOLITE in class 18 proceed to registration.
3. The proceedings be otherwise dismissed.
4. Each party to pay its own costs.
Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.
Background
Background to the litigation
Full text does not contain this section.
Evidence
Evidence Before The Court
Full text does not contain this section.
Decision
Reasons for decision
Full text does not contain this section.
Ratio Decidendi
Legal Principle Established
Full text does not contain this section.