AFT Pharmaceuticals (AU) Pty Limited v Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited [2020] FCAFC 45

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

AFT Pharmaceuticals (AU) Pty Limited v Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited [2020] FCAFC 45 Appeal from: Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited v AFT Pharmaceuticals (AU) Pty Limited [2018] FCA 1552

File number: NSD 127 of 2019

Judge: MURPHY, WIGNEY AND BURLEY JJ

Date of judgment: 18 March 2020

Catchwords: CONSUMER LAW – comparative advertising of over-the-counter analgesic products – whether advertisements contravened Australian Consumer Law (Sch 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) – misleading or deceptive conduct – false or misleading representations – conduct liable to mislead as to nature or characteristic of goods – whether adequate scientific foundation for representations as to superiority of pain relief provided by appellant's analgesic product over other analgesic products – whether primary judge erred in evaluating the evidence – whether primary judge erred in applying the onus of proof – appeal dismissed

Legislation: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)

Cases cited: Aldi Foods Pty Ltd v Moroccanoil Israel Ltd [2018] FCAFC 93; (2018) 261 FCR 301 GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd v Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited (No 2) [2018] FCA 1; (2018) 133 IPR 190 Janssen Pharmaceutical Pty Limited v Pfizer Pty Ltd [1985] FCA 574; (1985) 6 IPR 227 Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Ltd v Unilever Australia Ltd (No 2) [2006] FCA 1646; (2006) 70 IPR 574 Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited v GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 138 Sterling Winthrop Pty Ltd v Boots Co (Australia) Pty Ltd [1995] FCA 664; (1995) 32 IPR 361 Tobacco Institute of Australia Ltd v Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Inc [1992] FCA 962; (1992) 38 FCR 1