Combe International Ltd v Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel [2021] FCAFC 8

Federal Court of Australia

Combe International Ltd v Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel [2021] FCAFC 8 Appeal from: Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel v Combe International Ltd [2020] FCA 39 Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel v Combe International Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCAFC 730

File number: NSD 226 of 2020

Judgment of: MCKERRACHER, GLEESON AND BURLEY JJ

Date of judgment: 11 February 2021

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application for leave to appeal to the Full Court from judgment of single judge pursuant to s 195(2) of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) – leave granted TRADE MARKS – opposition proceeding – s 44 ground of opposition – whether mark deceptively similar to prior registered marks – descriptive components and "idea" of trade mark

Legislation: Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) s 10, s 14, s 20, s 42(b), s 44, s 52, s 56, s 57, s 59, s 60, s 62A, s 195(2)

Cases cited: Aldi Foods Pty Ltd v Moroccanoil Israel Ltd [2018] FCAFC 93; 261 FCR 301 Aristoc Ltd v Rysta Ltd [1945] AC 68; 62 RPC 65 at 84 Australian Meat Group Pty Ltd v JBS Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 207; 268 FCR 623 Australian Woollen Mills Ltd v F.S. Walton & Co Ltd [1937] HCA 51; 58 CLR 641 Bauer Consumer Media Ltd v Evergreen Television Pty Ltd [2019] FCAFC 71; 367 ALR 393 Berlei Hestia Industries Ltd v The Bali Company Inc [1973] HCA 43; 129 CLR 353 Boensch v Pascoe [2019] HCA 49; 94 ALJR 112 Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Nominees (No 2) Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1833; 117 FCR 424 Cantarella Bros Pty Limited v Modena Trading Pty Limited [2014] HCA 48; 254 CLR 337 Christian v Société Des Produits Nestlé SA (No 2) [2015] FCAFC 153; 327 ALR 630 Combe International Ltd v Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co KG Arzneimittel [2017] ATMO 110 Cooper Engineering Co Pty Ltd v Sigmund Pumps Ltd [1952] HCA 15; 86 CLR 536 Crazy Ron's Communications Pty Ltd v Mobileworld Communications Pty Ltd [2004] FCAFC 196; 209 ALR 1 Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel v Combe International Ltd [2020] FCA 39 Dr August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel v Combe International Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCAFC 730 Hashtag Burgers Pty Ltd v In-N-Out Burgers, Inc [2020] FCAFC 235 Homart Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Careline Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 105; 264 FCR 422 In the Matter of an Application by the Pianotist Company Ltd. for the Registration of a Trade Mark (1906) 23 RPC 774 Jafferjee v Scarlett [1937] HCA 36; 57 CLR 115 Kuru v State of New South Wales [2008] HCA 26; (2008) 236 CLR 1 MID Sydney Pty Ltd v Australian Tourism Co Ltd [1998] FCA 1616; 90 FCR 236 Mond Staffordshire Refining Co Ltd v Harlem [1929] HCA 6; 41 CLR 475 New South Wales Dairy Corporation v Murray Goulburn Co-operative Company Ltd [1989] FCA 124; 86 ALR 549 Pham Global Pty Ltd v Insight Clinical Imaging Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 83; 251 FCR 379 Re Broadhead's Application (1950) 67 RPC 209 Re Johnson and Johnson v Kalnin [1993] FCA 279; 114 ALR 215 Reckitt & Colman(Australia) Ltd v Boden [1945] HCA 12; 70 CLR 84 Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths Ltd [1999] FCA 1020; 93 FCR 365 Shell Company of Australia Ltd v Esso Standard Oil (Aust) Ltd [1963] HCA 66; 109 CLR 407 Southern Cross Refrigerating Co v Toowoomba Foundry Pty Ltd [1954] HCA 82; 91 CLR 592 Sports Café Ltd v Registrar of Trade Marks [1998] FCA 1614; 42 IPR 552 Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Australia Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 156; 237 FCR 388 Verrocchi v Direct Chemist Outlet Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 104; 247 FCR 570 Macquarie Dictionary Online (Macmillan Publishers Australia, 2021) Messrs Burrell R and Handler M, the learned authors of Australian Trade Mark Law (Oxford University Press, 2nd ed, 2016)