Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 105

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 105 Appeal from: Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 403

File number: NSD 661 of 2017

Judges: MURPHY, GLEESON AND MARKOVIC JJ

Date of judgment: 5 July 2018

Catchwords: CONSUMER LAW – appeal – whether primary judge erred in finding packaging and get-up of appellant's cosmetic products misleadingly or deceptively similar to that of respondent's products – where different brand name present, but packaging otherwise similar – significance of lack of evidence of consumer confusion – characterisation of conduct as irrelevant third-party conduct – whether principle in Australian Woollen Mills Limited v FS Walton & Co Limited [1937] HCA 51; (1938) 58 CLR 641 properly applied – whether variants of products impermissibly conflated – appeal dismissed

Legislation: Australian Consumer Law (Sch 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) ss 18, 232 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 24A Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 140

Cases cited: 260 Oxford Street Pty Ltd v Premetis [2006] NSWCA 96 Aldi Foods Pty Ltd v Moroccanoil Israel Ltd [2018] FCAFC 93 Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [1983] 1 NSWLR 1 Anying Group Pty Ltd v Wang [2012] FCA 702 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Limited [2014] FCA 634; (2014) 317 ALR 73 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Real Estate Institute of Western Australia Ltd [1999] FCA 1387; (1999) 95 FCR 114 Australian Woollen Mills Limited v FS Walton & Co Limited [1937] HCA 51; (1938) 58 CLR 641 Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Nominees (No 2) Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1833; (2001) 117 FCR 424 Bridge Stockbrokers Ltd & Moore v Bridges & Ors [1984] FCA 430; (1984) 4 FCR 460 Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd v Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops Pty Ltd (No 4) [2006] FCA 446; (2006) 69 IPR 23 Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd v Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops Pty Ltd (No 8) [2008] FCA 470; (2008) 75 IPR 557 Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd v Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops Pty Ltd [2007] FCAFC 70; (2007) 159 FCR 397 Chase Manhattan Overseas Corp v Chase Corp Limited (1986) 12 FCR 375 Computer Edge Pty Ltd v Apple Computer Inc [1984] HCA 47; (1984) 54 ALR 767 Damorgold Pty Ltd v JAI Products Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 448 Facton v Toast Sales Group [2012] FCA 612; (2012) 98 IPR 13 Flexopack SA Plastics Industry v Flexopack Australia Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 235 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2003) 214 CLR 118 Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 403 Hornsby Building Information Centre Ltd Sydney Building Information Centre Ltd [1978] HCA 11; (1978) 140 CLR 216 ICI Australian Operations Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission [1992] FCA 707; (1992) 38 FCR 248 JB Williams Co v H Bronnley & Co Ltd (1909) 26 RPC 765 Landsal Pty Ltd v REI Building Society [1993] FCA 171; (1993) 41 FCR 421 Miki Shoko Co Ltd v Merv Brown Pty Ltd (1988) ATPR 40-858 NZI Securities Australia Ltd v Poignand [1994] FCA 46; (1994) 51 FCR 584 Oliver Hume South East Queensland Pty Ltd v Investa Residential Group Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 141; (2017) 348 ALR 385 Paragon Shoes Pty Ltd v Paragini Distributors (NSW) Pty Ltd [1988] FCA 647; (1988) 13 IPR 323 Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd [1982] HCA 44; (1982) 149 CLR 191 Pasqualotto v Pasqualotto [2013] VSCA 21 Payton & Co v Snelling, Lampard & Co Ltd (1900) 17 RPC 48 Precision Plastics Pty Ltd v Demir [1975] HCA 27; (1975) 132 CLR 362 Red Bull Australia Pty Limited v Sydneywide Distributors Pty Limited [2001] FCA 1228; (2001) 53 IPR 481 Ricegrowers Ltd v Real Foods [2008] FCA 639; (2008) 77 IPR 32 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd v Apple Inc [2011] FCAFC 158; (2011) 217 FCR 238 SNF (Australia) Pty Ltd v Ciba Specialty Chemicals Water Treatments Ltd [2015] FCA 787; 114 IPR 231 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd [1987] 10 NSWLR 247 Sydneywide Distributors Pty Ltd v Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd [2002] FCAFC 157; (2002) 234 FCR 549 Taco Co of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd [1982] FCA 170; (1982) 42 ALR 177 TAG Pacific Ltd v McSweeney [1992] FCA 191; (1992) 34 FCR 438 Telmak Teleproducts (Australia) Pty Ltd v Coles Myer Ltd (1989) 89 ALR 48 Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 568 Verrocchi v Direct Chemist Outlet Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 104; (2016) 247 FCR 570 WH Burford & Sons Ltd v G Mowling & Son [1909] HCA 83; (1908) 8 CLR 212 Woodtree Pty Ltd v Zheng [2007] FCA 1922; (2007) 164 FCR 369