Lazar, J. v. Taito (Australia) Pty Ltd & Anor [1985] FCA 38
Federal Court of Australia
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; CATCHWORDSCONTEMPT OF COURT - Proceedings for infringement of copyright and
breach of secns. 52 and 53 of Trade Practices Act 1974 -
Interlocutory injunction - Whether non-compliance - Construction
of injunction - Construction of statement of charge - Whether
copyright an element of charge requiring proof - Whether finding
of contempt vitiated by failure to prove copyright - Effect of
course of proceedings hefore trial judge - Power to dispense with
personal service under Order 1, rule 8 - Consideration of
provision for an application to Court to reconsider committal on
payment into Court of sum of money.
Trade Practices Act 1974
JOSEPH LAZAR v. TAITO (AUSTRALIA) PTY LIMITED and TAITO
CORPORATION
No. VG 272 of 1984
Fox, McGregor and Neaves Jd.
19 February 1985
Sydney.
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY No. VG 272 of 1984
~eweywew
GENERAL DIVISTON
BETWEEN :
JOSEPH LAZAR
Appellant
AND:
TAITO (AUSTRALIA) PTY
LIMITED and TAITO
CORPORATION
Respondents
ORDER
JUDGE: Fox, McGregor and Neaves Jv.
DATE OF ORDER: 19 February 1985
WHERE MADE: Sydney.
THE COURT ORDERS THAT:
1. The appeal be dismissed.
2. The appellant pay the respondent's costs of the appeal.
3. The proceedings be remitted to the learned judge to make
such orders as may be necessary to effect execution of
the order for commitment made by him.
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY No. VG 272 of 1984
ween
GENERAL DIVISION
BETWEEN :
JOSEPH LAZAR
Appellant
TAITO (AUSTRALIA) PTY ~
LIMITED and TAITO
CORPORATION
Respondents
CORAM: FOX, McGREGOR and NEAVES JJ.
DATE: 19 February 1985
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
FOX J.
The facts in this matter, and relevant legal provisions,
are set out in the reasons for judgment of Neaves J. and I shall
only repeat those necessary to explain these reasons. I agree in
general with the judgments of McGregor J. and of Neaves J.,. save
that I have reached a different conclusion from that of Neaves J.
on the question whether a case was made out respecting the five
computerised amusement machines referred to in para. 4 of the
Statement of Charge, which was filed with the Notice of Motion of
16 August 1984, It was this statement of charge which was
amended during the course of the proceedings before Smithers J.
I amof the view that contempt was established on both this
charge and that respecting the two machines. The procedure,
requiring a notice of motion and statement of charge is
prescribed by rules 5 and 6 of Order 40 of the rules of Court.
The original application, dated 2 July 1984, relied upon
ss. 52 and 53 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 as well as
ownership of copyright. .An affidavit in support, which is not in
the papers, deals with copyright in the computer programme, in
the TX-1 logo, and in drawings on the cabinet. There is an
oblique reference to copyright' being in the programme, when Mr.
Goodsell, in his affidavit, which is in the papers, recites what
was said to him by the present appellant concerning the Apple
computer and the action against Computer Edge. An appeal in the
Apple matter was heard by the Full Court of this Court, anda
further appeal is now pending before the High Court. The
statement of claim was filed on 31 July 1984 and -alleges
copyright in the "source and/or object code" of computer
programmes contained in the TX-1 machine, and in "artistic works
being the cockpit and console of the TX-1".
There is nothing to suggest that when the original
injunctions issued, the one which is now primarily under
consideration, relating to selling, etc. was based simply upon
infringement of copyright. The first two injunctions ordered,
which I now set out for clarity, followed the pattern (and with
some changes in sub-para. (i), the language) of the injunctions
sought in the application:
"(2) The following interlocutory injunctions go until
the hearing and determination of the Application or until
further order restraining the Respondents whether by
themselves their servants or agents or howsoever from -
(i) selling, hiring out or encumbering amusement
machines of the kind known as "TX-1" and
bearing the insignia thereon "TX-1" and the
_ name "Tazmi";
(ii) infringing the Applicants' copyrights Esicj in
the said amusement machines;".
It is of course of very little use, if any, to obtain an
interlocutory injunction in copyright proceedings, which simply
restrains infringement of copyright. That course can also be
unfair to the respondent and the source of confusion. The
effective part of the 'injunctions mentioned was that dealing,
separately, with specific action. There was an injunction simply
to restrain infringement of copyright, and this could add weight
to the argument that proof of copyright was necessary in the
hearing for contempt, so far as concerned the five machines.
The relevant statement of charge, which was filed with
the notice of motion of 16 August 1984, contains in paragraph 4a
clumsy blend of the particular and the general:
"(4) On various dates between 12th July, 1984 and
30th July, 1984 the Respondents, acting through the
Secondnamed Respondent, sold five TX-1 machines and
thereby infringed the Applicants copyright and engaged
in conduct which was misleading and deceptive and so
acted in contempt of the Orders aforesaid."
I would read the general language, from the words "and
_thereby" to, and including, "deceptive" as explanatory, or
emphatic, of the bases upon which it was claimed the injunction
numbered (2)(i) was obtained. The following words in the charge
refer back to the acts, as being the matter which constitutes
contempt. I do not think that anyone did or could contemplate
that proof of the charge involved proof of copyright, or of a
breach of s.52, or the relevant provisions of s.53 of the Trade
Practices Act.
Paragraph 4 of the statement of charge was amended
during the course of the hearing to read:
"4a, eae
(a) On various dates between 12th July 1984 and 30th
duly 1984 the first named Respondent acting
through the secondnamed Respondent sold 5 TX-1
machines to Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd.,
alternatively sold the said 5 machines to the
thirdnamed Respondent.
(b) Alternatively on 14th July 1984 alternatively
23rd July 1984, the secondnamed Respondent sold
the said 5 machines to Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd.
on behalf of the thirdnamed Respondent.
(c) By his participation in the sales aforesaid, the
secondnamed respondent sold the said 5 machines.
(d) By reason of the said sales the Respondents
infringed the Applicants' copyright and engaged
in conduct which was misleading and deceptive and
so acted in contempt of the orders recited in
paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 hereof."
This amendment provided alternatives, and greater
particularisation. Paragraph (d) rather follows the pattern set
by the similar words in the original charge. I am unable to read
the words in that paragraph concerning infringement of copyright
and misleading and deceptive conduct as qualifying what is
asserted in paras. (a), (b) and (c). The following words "and so
acted ...", prima facie refer back to the acts referred to in the
earlier paragraphs. It may be correct to regard the words as
surplusage, but I think they were intended to have a purpose,
which is to explain the basis upon which the applicant claims
relief. There always have been averments which are not
traversible, and parts of indictments are often merely emphatic
or explanatory.
What is clear is that the parties and the judge did not
regard the words in question as requiring proof of copyright (or
of misleading or deceptive conduct). Such a requirement would
have made a nonsense of the whole proceedings. Moreover, to
regard one of the charges as requiring proof of copyright in, or
in connection with the machines, while the other charge did not,
would have seemed to the parties to be strange at least, and to
have invited comment, and submissions. Counsel for Mr Lazar
argued before the trial judge submissions that there was no case
to answer and against allowance of the amendment, but no
reference was made then or at any time to the need for proof of
the matters mentioned, or any of them. The first time the
argument was raised was before us, and even then it went outside
the grounds of appeal. Indeed, para. 3 of the Notice of Appeal,
which deals with charge 4, relating to the five machines,
paraphrases the charge by referring simply to sale.
I have so far dealt with the content of the charges, as
if they are, solely, the essence of the matter. The fact is,
however, that what is charged is contempt of court in not
complying with the relevant injunctions. The charges operate to
indicate the injunction (or injunctions) relied upon, and to give
brief particulars. The analogy between the charge required by
the rules of Court and a criminal charge is incomplete, because
the person to whom an injunction is directed knows, with some
precision, and specificity, what he is commanded not to do.
I am therefore of the view that both convictions should
stand.
On the matter of penalty, I agree with what has been
said by Neaves J. A case has not been made out to vary the
sentence of three months imprisonment, even if only one charge
were established. Injunctions are a very common and very
important element in civil proceedings, and it is in my view
quite vital that there be ready and strong sanctions for their
enforcement. It is not the dignity of the Court which is in
question, but the due administration and enforcement of the law.
I mention, without thereby meaning to make any
suggestion, or to indicate that my view of the sentence has been
affected thereby, that under the rules (Order 40, rule 12)
application can be made to the judge at any time, with
appropriate evidence, for earlier release. I do not want to add
anything to what has been said by McGregor J. and Neaves J.
concerning the part.of his Honour's order dealing with payment
into Court of the proceeds of sale.
There is a further matter, to which I made passing
reference in the course of argument. The formal order should, I
believe, have stated that the respondent (appellant before us)
had been found guilty, and of what he had been found guilty. If
this exercise had been undertaken, some at least of the argument
before us might have been unnecessary. Conceivably the whole of
the principal question I have been considering could have been
resolved by the trial judge. A form of warrant of committal is
in the schedule to the rules (form 49) and is there attributed to
0.37, r.9. I have looked ata copy of the warrant which was
issued. It was signed by Smithers J., and it says that Mr.
Lazar''s committal is for contempt of court, and sets out
particulars of the sale of the five machines as well as of two
machines, in each case in contravention of the injunction of
Sweeney 7. of 4 July 1984. No reference is made to infringement
of copyright, or breach of the Trade Practices Act.
In the circumstances, and in the absence of any
submission on the matter, I do not propose that this Court make
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an order that some course be adopted in relation to the content
of the formal order which was made.
I would dismiss the appeal, with costs.
It appears that by a sequence of two orders execution of
the warrant of committal has been stayed awaiting the outcome of
this appeal. The operative portion of the warrant reads:
"Receive JOSEPH LAZAR into your custody and keep him
there until the. expiration of three calendar months
from the date on which he is so received into your
custody."
The period of three months has not started to run. I have not
seen the orders staying execution, and understand that the latest
has not been formally taken out, but it may now be necessary to
make an order lifting the stay. This matter and appropriate
orders to ensure execution of his Honour's judgment are best left
to be dealt with by him, and for that purpose the contempt
proceedings should now be remitted to him.
"~
I certify that this and the Sevan (Q)
preceding pages are a true copy of the
Reasons fer Judgment herein of his Honour
; dz. Justice FSX ;
Poh iin Kane.
' Associate '
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IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY No. VG 272 of 1984
GENERAL DIVISION
BETWEEN
JOSEPH LAZAR
Appellant
(Respondent )
TAITO (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LIMITED
and TAITO CORPORATION
Respondents
(Applicants)
CORAM: Fox, McGregor and Neaves Jd.
DATE: 19 February 1985
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
McGregor J.
T have had the benefit of reading in draft the facts set
out in the Reasons for Judgment of Neaves J. who also refers to
the parties in the hearing at first instance. It is not
necessary to re-state these matters here except insofar as
dealing with a particular submission may require.
It is convenient to deal with the arguments presented by
senior counsel for the appellant which were, as he told us, in
effect, summarised in the Amended Notice of Appeal which was by
leave filed in Court on 10 December 1984. The arguments were not
always addressed to the grounds in the order these are numbered.
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Counsel referred to the Notice of Motion dated 16 August
1984 to which the first eight grounds of appeal set out in the
Amended Notice of Appeal relate. He argued the grounds in paras.
1, 2 and 3 thereof together. He submitted that what he described
as "procedural contempts" were of the nature of criminal
contempts requiring strict proof on the criminal standard and a
rigid adherence to the Court's rules and procedures. In support
of this proposition he referred to In re Bramblevale Ltd. £19701
Ch.128; Comet Products v. Hawkex Plastics £19711 2Q.B. 67
(Comet); Knight v. Clifton [19711°1 Ch.700; Clifford v. Middleton
{19741 V.R. 737; Foley v. Herald-Sun T.V. Pty. Ltd. £19811 V.R.
315; Rigoli v. Gozzi £1981] A.C.L.D. 376, As a more general
contention counsel argued that the learned primary Judge failed
to apply a standard of proof of a sufficiently high degree. The
criticism that his Honour indicated that he was applying such a
standard but "did not abide by it" is answered by the terms of
the ultimate finding couched in the formula of "beyond reasonable
doubt".
Counsel submitted that the charge set out in para.4
(reproduced in the Statement of Reasons of Neaves J.) of the
statement of charge filed with the Notice of Motion dated 16
August 1984 was too wide and ambiguous; that accordingly, the
learned primary Judge was unable to, and did not, make findings
in support of it. These submissions, he said, applied to the
charge both as originally laid and as amended. He contended that
it was for an applicant to frame the charges upon which he asks
the Court to commit a person to prison; here the charge
particularized in para.4 had a number of ingredients requiring
strict proof. In his submission, it had to be proven, firstly,
that Eastern Micro Electronics Pty. Limited (to which I will
refer as EME or Eastern accepting for present purposes the
nomenclature of the primary Judge and Neaves J.), acting through
the appellant, sold 5 "TX~1" machines; secondly, that by doing
so, they infringed the respondents' copyright; and, thirdly,
that by doing so, they engaged in conduct which was misleading
and deceptive, - and so acted in contempt of the Court order as
aforesaid. He argued, in effect, that the charge set out in
para.4 could not be equated with one that "on various dates" the
appellant sold the 5 machines and so acted in contempt of the
Court order, thus obviating the need to prove copyright
infringement and misleading or deceptive conduct.
However, though I have not attempted to set out
counsel's argument fully, I do not accept this submission. The
learned primary Judge had allowed an amendment of para.4 of the
statement of charge which was then expressed in sub-paragraphs
(a) to (d), the first three of which described the machines as
"5 TX-1" or "the said 5 machines". The allegation in
sub-paragraph (a) was that EME or Eastern acting through the
appellant sold the five machines to Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd. or
to Mazz Enterprises (Australia) Pty. Limited (Mazz); in
sub-paragraph (b) that the appellant sold the machines to
ake ea ee ey
Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd. on behalf of Mazz; in sub-paragraph
(c) that by his participation in the sales aforesaid the
appellant sold the machines.
It is not necessary to prove every assertion expressed
or implicit ina charge; but only those ingredients which are
essential to it. A failure to prove inessential material does
not result in the charge failing; (cf. Ex parte Pritchard 18
-——_-—--
S.R. (N.S.W.) 434 per Cullen C.J. at p.436; Ex parte Ferguson;
Re Alexander 45 S.R. (N.S.W.) 64 per Jordan C.J. at p.68).
Sub-paragraph (d) (one of the sub-paragraphs into which para.4
was divided) contains assertions that I consider inessential to
the charge in that paragraph. This view gains some support from
the absence of any assertions similar to those in sub-paragraph
(a) in the three charges set out in paras. 5, 6 and 7. These
paragraphs, which separately deal with three different machines,
each allege that the appellant parted with the power, possession,
custody and control of a particular machine (identified by a
serial number) by installing it in certain premises (paras. 5 and
6) or releasing it into the possession of Ian Sykes (para. 7).
In my view, the first three sub-paragraphs of para. 4 and paras.
5, 6 and 7 allege a sale or parting with possession of the five
machines, and sub-paragraph (d) of para. 4 is merely a summary of
the effect of the three preceding sub-paragraphs. Even if
sub-paragraph (d) of para. 4 is essential to the charge set out
there, then it is implicit in the injunctive order that for the
purposes of that order it was assumed or accepted that copyright
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infringement or misleading or deceptive conduct was (or could be)
a corollary of sale or parting with possession etc. The object
of the injunction clearly was to ensure, as far as the Court
could by its order, that the machines did not leave the power,
possession, custody or control of the appellant until the issues
in the case, including issues as. to copyright and misleading or
deceptive conduct, could be resolved. This object would be
frustrated if a breach of the injunction, amounting to contempt,
could not be established until a determination of these very
issues. From argument, a perusal of the transcript and the
Reasons of the learned primary Judge, it is clear that the matter
was not conducted on any other basis than it was sale or parting
with possession that had been prevented until the main issues
(e.g. breach of copyright) could be determined. Consistent with
this, his Honour expressed himself as satisfied beyond reasonable
doubt as to the central issue in the interlocutory proceedings,
i.e. that the appellant engaged in the conduct referred to, viz.
sale or parting with power or possession (putting it shortly) of
the machines; as his Honour said -
",...-thereby to frustrate the purpose of the order
restraining 'him and EME from selling or parting
with the machines. He thereby engaged in conduct
forbidden by the order and was guilty of contempt."
His Honour went on to refer the contempt to the conduct of the
appellant and EME or Eastern relating to the sale of two machines
(second Notice of Motion) to Mr. Sykes on 7 July 1984 and the
conduct of the appellant and EME or Eastern relating to the sale
of the 5 machines.
In my opinion it is clear that the charges made
appropriate allegations which were within the terms of the
injunction, and the matter proceeded upon the basis that it was
the allegations of sale or parting with possession which were to
be proved. His Honour's findings were thus responsive to those
allegations. Accordingly, it was of no moment that there was no
evidence to that stage in the proceedings as to breach of
copyright or misleading or deceptive conduct. It is worth
noting that such a contention as has been argued before us was
not taken in the original Notice of Appeal with its 56 grounds.
Senior counsel for the appellant agreed in argument that before
the learned primary Judge no submission was made as to breach of
copyright or misleading conduct and that the construction of
para.4 of the statement of charge that he now sought to put
forward was different from that taken in the Court of first
instance; there the issue of copyright "did not arise in
anybody's mind",
In my view, grounds 1, 2 and 3 have not been made out.
In relation to ground 6(a) of the Amended Notice of
Appeal counsel argued, in effect, that the charge in para.4
in the statement of charge filed with the Notice of Motion dated
16 August 1984 should have succeeded only upon the Court's
finding that the machines sold were of the kind referred to in
the injunction order. But, in counsel's submission, there was no
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evidence upon which the Court could so find. The machines were
identified as follows in the interlocutory injunction (para. 2)
granted by Sweeney J. on 4 July 1984 -
",..e,amusement machines of the kind known as 'TX-1'
and bearing the insignia thereon 'TX-1' and the
name 'Tazmi'."
In my view the machines dealt with by the appellant were
sufficiently identified as being of the kind referred to in the
injunction order. First of all, a perusal of the evidence,
including the evidence in -Mr. Lazar's affidavit of 13 July 1984,
indicates that the issues raised did not include any contention
that the machines so dealt with by the appellant were other than
the ones the subject of the injunction and charge; and if such a
contention had been raised, it was adequately met by the material
in the appellant's said affidavit. This, in effect, took the
form of confession and avoidance, or offered matters as to why
his conduct might be thought to be excusable, rather than raising
any contest as to identification. It was also contended in
ground 7 of the Amended Notice of Appeal that the learned primary
Judge was not entitled to permit the admission or introduction
into evidence of the material in that affidavit. Yet we have
been referred to passages in the transcript where both sides did
draw attention to the contents of the affidavit. Furthermore, in
my opinion, whether as an affidavit or not, it constituted a
statement in writing over the hand of the appellant and thus was
capable of being accepted as an admission (cf. per Cross L.J. in
Comet at p.77). The weight of any such admission was increased
because it was verified. I observe, however, that it is not
necessary to discuss weight in connection with a no evidence
point. It was not suggested before the learned primary Judge
that it had not been shown it was the document of the appellant;
nor, in my view, could any such contention have been advanced,
having regard to the place of the document on the file, its
contents, the description of it adopted by the original grounds
of appeal filed in this matter, the fact that it was actually
read before Sweeney J., and, if that were not sufficient, the
reference to it by the appellant's then counsel in argument to
the learned primary Judge. I accept the submission that it was
then common ground that the charges referred to the same machines
as the injunction order; and they were the machines which had
been dealt with by the appellant. Further, in my view, contrary
to ground 6(b) of the Amended Notice of Appeal, the evidence was
capable of supporting the inference that the sales had been by
EME or Eastern or, alternatively, by Mazz acting as agent for EME
or Eastern. The appellant did not choose himself to give
evidence to the contrary, though it would appear he was, more
than anyone else, in a position to contravert such a contention.
So the learned primary Judge, assisted by the absence of such
evidence, was enabled the more readily to draw an inference
adverse to the appellant.
I should add that counsel for the respondents, in
meeting the argument as to the entitlement of the primary Judge
to refer to the affidavit, referred to In re Cohen. Ex parte
Trustee £1924] 2 Ch. 515 (Re Cohen). He relied on a submission
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that there Lawrence J. by reason of the practice of the Chancery
Court had allowed reference by the respondents to an affidavit
filed but not read. However, the Court of Appeal (which
overruled Lawrence J. on the preliminary point of practice) took
the view, for reasons set out, that the practice of the
Bankruptcy Court was against permitting reliance on such an
affidavit until read. Pollock M.R. said at pp.525-526 -
"It is clear therefore that a respondent may take
the objection that the applicant has not
established his claim on the motion, and, if that
objection is allowed, that the respondent is not
compelled to allow his evidence to be read."
Nevertheless, Re Cohen, upon examination does not, I suggest,
advance the appellant's case. Although one pays respect to the
way matters of bankruptcy are administered by, and the procedures
in, the Courts of the United Kingdom, we are not bound by them.
Further, this was not the use of an affidavit as such, but of a
statement in writing signed by the appellant containing
admissions. Moreover, when the second Notice of Motion was
called on and his Honour made an order that the motions could be
heard together, the affidavit of 13 July 1984 was again referred
to and was one of a number of documents marked without objection
as an exhibit. This is consistent with its being used otherwise
than as an affidavit. Re Cohen, though apparently not supporting
the argument of respondents' counsel, is distinguishable.
Senior counsel for the appellant said these proceedings
could not have been treated as civil proceedings; they were
proceedings of a criminal nature; therefore the charges had to
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be proved with strictness. No one disputes this, although the
proceedings were, in fact, for civil contempt. See per Lord
Denning M.R. in Comet at p.73. Yet it is commonplace in criminal
cases that the accused's ow signed documents are tendered
against him.
Grounds 6 and 7, in my opinion, have not been made out.
Ground 4 of the Amended Notice of Appeal states that the
primary Judge was in error in allowing amendment of the statement
of charge filed with the first Notice of Motion whereby the
original para.4 became divided into four separate sub-paragraphs.
It is sufficient to say that amendments may and frequently are
allowed late in all manner of proceedings. An exercise of
discretion is involved. In particular, there should be no such
amendment if a party is thereby unfairly prejudiced so that e.g.
some allegation is permitted when he can no Longer answer it. It
is clear that the amendments made raised no new matter and that
his Honour was well aware of the necessity to avoid any
unfairness to the appellant. No error in the exercise of his
discretion has been demonstrated.
In my opinion there is no substance in ground 4.
Ground 5 contends that the learned primary Judge erred
"in allowing a motion in the form of an application for civil
relief" (i.e. the requirement of lodgment of monies received in
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respect of the sale or hire of the machines) in conjunction with
one seeking punishment for contempt. I have noted what was said
in Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders
Labourers' Federation v. Minister of State for Industrial
Relations 43 ALR 189. His Honour made no order as to payment
into Court. I do not accept that by dealing with those portions
of the two Notices of Motion in the sense of hearing evidence or
argument on them his Honour was in error; or that there is any
indication that thereby he became prejudiced, as is claimed,
against the appellant. For his Honour to hold that the appellant
was in contempt of court it was sufficient for him to rely on his
finding that there was a purported sale. This proposition in
substance was not really disputed finally before the learned
primary Judge, though it was sought to argue that the appellant
was not the seller.
In my view there is no substance in ground 5.
The material raised in respect of the second Notice of
Motion (relating to 2 machines) dated 6 September 1984 may now he
considered.
Grounds 10 and 11 of the Amended Notice of Appeal raised
the issue of personal service of the (second) Notice of Motion
filed on 19 September 1984 and affidavit material in support
thereof. The relevant documents were, on19 September 1984,
served on the appellant's solicitors; who did not, so far as we
12.
have been told, refuse to accept them or disclaim any instruction
to receive them or accept service. The first Notice of Motion on
16 August 1984 had been filed and served on the appellant; and
for one reason or another this whole matter had been before the
Court-on two occasions, viz. 27 August 1984 and 29 August 1984,
prior to the service of the second Notice of Motion, i.e. on 19
September 1984. Counsel, as I have understood him, did not
finally contend that his Honour did not have power pursuant to
Order 1 Rule 8 to dispense with compliance with Order 40 Rule 8;
but only that such a dispensation should rarely be given and only
where it is impossible to effect personal service. In my
opinion there was power in Order 1 Rule 8 to have dispensed with
personal service. Such a power may be exercised particularly, I
suggest, where there is no apparent injustice and the alleged
error can only be one of procedure. The learned primary Judge
was entitled in the circumstances of this case, in his
discretion, to dispense with personal service.
In my opinion grounds 10 and 11 do not provide any
defence here.
Ground 12 is the same as ground 5 and has already been
discussed. I need say nothing more about it.
Counsel put forward an argument as relevant to both
Notices of Motion but offered in support of ground 13 in
particular. He referred to that part of the enjoining order
dated 4 July 1984 which included -
as
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"parting with power, possession, custody....of the
said amusement machines or any component or parts
therefor embodying any reproduction of any
substantial part of the computer programme
contained within the main control panel of the said
amusement machines...."
In his submission, properly interpreted, the order was really
restraining the appellant from parting with possession etc. of a
machine embodying the computer program that the respondents were
seeking to protect. He argued that a statement of charge which
simply alleged that the appellant breached the Court's order by
parting with possession of the machines did not truly reflect the
Court's order as properly interpreted. It was necessary, he
argued, to allege not only parting with possession of, and power
over, machines, but to allege this in respect of machines which
contained or "embodied" a reproduction of a substantial part of
the computer program. Thus, in his submission, there was a basis
for, as he put it, demurring to the charges set out in paras. 5,
6 and 7 (of the first Notice of Motion) and charges set out in
paras. 4 and 5 of the second Notice of Motion. Counsel
submitted there was no proof that the machines with which there
was a parting with possession etc. were machines which embodied
the computer program of the type described in the order.
However, the statement of charge filed with the Notice
of Motion dated 16 August 1984 (5 machines) and the second
statement of charge filed with the Notice of Motion dated 6
September 1984 (2 machines) in my view sufficiently identify the
machines as being of the same kind, at least, as that referred to
14.
in the injunction which is reproduced in the Notices of Motion.
I note that in the charges set out in paras. 3, 4 and 5 in the
second Notice of Motion, the word "said" precedes the word
"machines" and thus relates the subject matter of the charges to
that of the injunction. No submission was made to the primary
Judge that there was any lack of identity between the machines
the subject of the injunction, the machines dealt with by the
appellant, and those in respect of which charges were brought.
It is apparent from his affidavit of 13 July 1984 discussed above
that the appellant had no doubt as to the identity of the five
machines referred to; and the agreement for sale dated 1I July
1984 between Smith and Sykes is for five machines. We were not
referred to any evidence nor offered any argument as to the
capacity of these machines acting in their role of amusement
machines to operate with a variety of programs; or as to whether
there is but one program which is integral to the machine.
Perhaps the appellant could have given such information; or
raised such an issue thus allowing it to be debated before the
learned primary Judge. He chose not to give such evidence. His
counsel raised no such issue at that stage. Even a parting with
possession etc. of machines not embodying the computer program
might have been sufficient to constitute a breach of the
injunction.
In my view the argument as to embodiment must be
rejected. Ground 13 fails.
pyaennes
15.
Ground 14 relies ona failure by the respondents to
prove that the machines were of the kind described in the Court's
injunction order. The order identifies the kind of machines as
that known as "'TX-1' and bearing the insignia thereof Tg! and
the name 'Tazmi'". The ground is similar to ground 6(a). It is
not necessary to traverse the arguments used in support of it.
In my opinion there is no substance in the appellant's
contention.
Ground 14 has not been sustained.
Senior counsel for the appellant submitted also that the
term of commitment, viz. three months, was excessive (see grounds
8 and 15). I have read the Reasons in that regard in the draft
prepared by Neaves J. with which I respectfully agree; and I do
not wish to add anything.
I would dismiss the appeal with costs.
I have had the advantage of reading the order proposed
by the learned presiding Judge and agree with it.
tify that this and the om
l
pr..sding pages are a true copy of the
ficasons for Judgment herein of his Honour
Mr, Justice McGregor.
"yt, fa
re = -
Associate
Dated: PP tt Foe ay P47 Sho
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY
Nee ee
GENERAL DIVISION
BETWEEN : JOSEPH LAZAR
Appellant
(Respondent )
AND: TAITO (AUSTRALIA) PTY.
LIMITED and TAITO
CORPORATION
Respondents
(Applicants)
CORAM: Fox, McGregor and Neaves JJ.
DATE: IF February 1985
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
NEAVES J.
This is an appeal by Joseph Lazar ("the appellant")
from a decision of the Court constituted by a single Judge
(Smithers J.) committing the appellant to prison for three
months for contempt of court. The contempt consisted in the
appellant wilfully engaging on 7 and 14 July 1984 in conduct
which was forbidden by an order of the Court made on 4 July
1984 in proceedings between Taito (Australia) Pty. Limited
and Taito Corporation as applicants and Eastern Micro
Electronics Pty. Limited and the appellant as respectively
the first and second named respondents. To those
No. V G 272 of 1984
:
|
(
{
t
{J
ee
proceedings Mazz Enterprises (Australia) Pty. Limited was
joined as the third named respondent but this did not occur
until 18 July 1984, that is to say, after the conduct
constituting the contempt.
In order to understand the questions which arise
for decision on this appeal it is necessary to trace in some
detail the history of the matter.
On 2 July 1984 proceedings were commenced in this
Court by Taito (Australia) Pty. Limited and Taito
Corporation ("the applicants") against Eastern Micro
Electronics Pty. Limited ("Eastern") and the appellant
seeking declarations and injunctions in respect of conduct
that was said to be in breach of section 53 of the Trade
Practices Act 1974 or to be misleading or deceptive or to he
likely to mislead or deceive contrary to sub-section 52(1)
of that Act and that was alleged to amount to the
infringement of the applicants' copyrights in certain
amusement machines described as machines of the kind known
as "TX-1" and bearing thereon the insignia "TX-1" and the
name "Tazmi".
A convenient description of the machines is given
in the reasons for judgment of Smithers J. in the following
.
terms -
3.
"The machines in question are computerised
amusement machines. The predominant
commercial use of those machines in the hands
of their owners was to™ locate them i
amusement parlours, milk bars or other places
where people congregate so that they are
such
available to those attending
establishments for the playing of games.
players place coins being the fee for playing
into a set in the machine. From time to time
the owner of the machine collects from the
machines the proceeds from the playing of the
machine and they are shared between the owner
of the machine and the proprietor
amusement establishment."
The applicants applied for interlocutory relief and
on 4 July 1984 Sweeney J. made a number of orders.
For
present purposes it is sufficient to set out orders 2 and 3.
Those orders read -
"2. The following interlocutory injunctions go
of the
Order
restraining the Respondents whether
themselves their servants or agents
until the hearing and determination
Application or until further
howsoever from -
(i) selling, hiring out or encumbering
amusement machines of the kind known as
'TX-1' and bearing the insignia thereon
'TX-1' and the name 'Tazmi';
(ii) infringing the Applicant's
machines;
(iii) engaging in conduct which is misleading
or deceptive or likely to mislead
deceive any person by inducing or
creating a belief that the firstnamed
Respondent is the only person importing
or entitled to import the said amusement
machines into Australia or the
person importing or entitled to import
Csicld
copyrights in the said amusement
only
(iv)
The
4.
the said amusement machines into
Victoria;
engaging in conduct which is misleading
or deceptive or likely to mislead or
deceive any person by inducing or
creating a belief that the firstnamed
Respondent is entitled to sell, let on
hire or by way of trade offer or expose
for sale or hire or by way of trade
exhibit in public the said amusement
machines.
following interlocutory injunctions go
until the hearing and determination of the
Application or until further Order
restraining the Respondents whether by
themselves their servants or agents or
howsoever from -
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
parting with power, possession, custody
or control (otherwise than to the
Applicants) of the said amusement
Machines or any component or parts
therefor, embodying any reproduction of
any substantial part of the computer
programme contained within the main
control panel of the said amusement
machines and any documentation designed
for use with any such reproduction;
selling, disposing of, destroying,
altering or concealing any such item as
is referred to in sub-paragraph (i)
above;
parting with power, possession, custody
or control (otherwise than to the
Applicants) or hiding, defacing,
altering or destroying any documents
(which expression in this Order includes
records in magnetic or other computer
readable form) relating to the
importation, acquisition, distribution,
sale or hire or any such item ahove
referred to."
The references to the respondents are references to Eastern
and the
appellant. The reference to the first named
respondent is to Eastern.
et
A copy of the order made on 4 July 1984 endorsed
with a notice as required by Order 37, rule 2 of the Federal
Court Rules was served personally on the appellant on 5 July
1984,
The matter again came before Sweeney J. on 13 July
1984 on motions of the applicants on the one hand and
Eastern and the appellant on the other to vary the orders
made on 4 July 1984. Those orders were varied in respects
which are not material for present purposes and the motions
were adjourned until 18 July 1984. It is, however, material
that, in support of the motion of Eastern and the appellant,
reliance was placed upon an affidavit sworn by the appellant
on 13 July 1984. It will be necessary to refer to that
affidavit later in these reasons.
On 18 July 1984 the matter came before Woodward J.
The motion of Eastern and the appellant was dismissed. Upon
the motion of the applicants an order was made joining Mazz
Enterprises (Australia) Pty. Limited ("Mazz") as the third
named respondent and interlocutory injunctions were granted
restraining Mazz in similar terms to the injunctions granted
by Sweeney J. on 4 July 1984. The matter was adjourned
until 26 July 1984 to enable the applicants to file and
serve any further affidavits as they might be advised.
The matter again came before Woodward J. on 26 July
1984. His Honour, by consent, granted further interlocutory
injunctions in terms which embody the terms of the
injunctions granted on 4 and 18 July 1984 and gave
directions in relation to the substantive application.
Certain further orders were made to which it is unnecessary
to refer.
On 31 July 1984 the applicants filed a statement of
claim in the proceedings.
On 16 August 1984 the applicants gave notice that
they would on 27 August 1984 move the Court for an order
that the appellant be punished for the contempt referred to
in an annexed statement of charge also dated 16 August 1984.
That statement, after referring to the orders made on 4, 18
and 26 July 1984, set out in paragraphs 4 - 7 inclusive the
alleged contempts in the following terms -
"4, On various dates between 12th July, 1984 and
30th July, 1984 the Respondent(s], acting
through the Secondnamed Respondent, sold
five TX-1 machines and thereby infringed the
Applicants' copyright and engaged in conduct
which was misleading and deceptive and so
acted in contempt of the Orders aforesaid.
5. On or about the 14th July, 1984 the
Secondnamed Respondent parted with power
possession custody and control of one of the
said amusement machines, bearing serial
number 408532, by installing it at premises
at 163 Sladen Street, Cranbourne.
7.
6. On or about the 25th July, 1984 the
Secondnamed Respondent parted with power
possession custody and control of one of the
said amusement machines: bearing serial
number 408625 by installing it at premises
at 22 Glengala Road, West Sunshine.
7. On or about the 24th July, 1984 the
Secondnamed Respondent parted with power
possession custody and control of one of the
said amusement machines bearing serial
number 408533 by releasing the same into the
possession of Ian Sykes for installation at
premises at 15 Buckingham Avenue,
Springvale."
The reference which was originally made in paragraph 4 to
"the Respondent" was subsequently amended by order of the
Court to read "the Respondents" and it is common ground
between the parties that that expression refers to Eastern
and Mazz. The references to "the Secondnamed Respondent"
are to the present appellant. It is also common ground that
the serial number of the machine referred to in paragraph 6
is incorrect, the correct serial number being 408523. The
notice of motion also sought an order in the following
terms —
"That the Respondents within 24 hours lodge with
the Court, pending the hearing and determination
of the Application, any moneys received by them
in respect of the sale or hire of the said
amusement machines."
The notice of motion dated 16 August 1984, the
statement of charge of that date and the affidavits in
support, being the affidavits of James Armel Goodsell, the
Victorian State Manager of Taito (Australia) Pty. Limited,
sworn respectively 2 July 1984, 18 July 1984, 26 July 1984
and 16 August 1984 were served personally on the appellant
on 20 August 1984.
The hearing of the motion commenced on 27 August
1984 and was adjourned to 30 August 1984. However, on 29
August 1984 the applicants filed an affidavit sworn on that
day by one Ian Sykes. That affidavit, apart from referring
to the transaction concerning the five machines referred to
in paragraph 4 of the statement of charge above referred to,
referred to an earlier transaction concerning two such
machines. Upon the applicants stating that they wished to
bring further proceedings for contempt in respect of the
earlier transaction the motion before the Court was
adjourned toa date to he fixed. The date subsequently
fixed was 21 September 1984.
On 6 September 1984 the applicants lodged at the
registry of the Court a notice of motion bearing that date
in which the applicants sought an order that the appellant
be punished for the contempts referred to in an annexed
statement of charge also dated 6 September 1984. That
statement, after referring to the orders made on 4 and 18
July 1984, set out in paragraphs 3 - 6 inclusive the alleged
contempts as follows -
"3. On or about 7th July, 1984 the Firstnamed
Respondent through the Secondnamed
Respondent sold two of the said machines
bearing serial numbers 407621 and 407520.
4. On or about 7th July, 1984 the Firstnamed
Respondent through the Secondnamed
Respondent parted with power possession or
control over the said two machines, by
agreeing to sell them as aforesaid.
5. On or about the 28th July, 1984 the
Firstnamed Respondent through the
Secondnamed Respondent accepted further
payment for the said two machines in the sum
of $20,500.00 and thereby, and to that
extent, parted with power or control over
the said machines.
6. In acting aforesaid, the Firstnamed
Respondent and the Secondnamed' Respondent
acted in contempt of Court."
The references to "the Firstnamed Respondent" and "the
Secondnamed Respondent" are to Eastern and the appellant
respectively. The notice of motion also sought an order -
"That the Respondents within 24 hours lodge with
the Court, pending the hearing and determination
of the Application, any moneys received by them
in respect of the sale or hire of the amusement
machines referred to in the Statement of
Charge."
Until a date had been fixed for the hearing of the
motion notice of which had been given on 16 August 1984 it
was not possible to file and serve the notice of motion
dated 6 September 1984 as it was intended that both motions
should come before the Court on the same date. In the
10.
result the notice of motion dated 6 September 1984 was filed
on 19 September 1984 returnable on 21 September 1984.
It is common ground that the notice of motion dated
6 September 1984, the statement of charge referred to
therein and the affidavits in support were not served
personally on the appellant. Copies were, however, served
upon the appellant's solicitor.
The motions were heard by Smithers J. commencing on
21 September 1984 and concluding on 3 October 1984 when his
Honour made the orders from which the present appeal is
brought.
The basic facts are not now in dispute and may be
shortly stated. The appellant and his wife, Ann Susan
Lazar, are and were at all material times the sole
shareholders and directors of Eastern and Mazz. Mazz is
engaged in the business of importing electronic amusement
machines into Victoria and Eastern is engaged in the
business of selling such machines or letting them on hire.
In late 1983 the appellant went to Tokyo, Japan,
saw TX-1 machines which he was told were made by Tatsumi
Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha and made an agreement with a
Japanese distributor, Goyo Corporation of Japan, to import
into Australia nine second-hand machines. Four of those
ll.
machines were imported between March and May 1984 in three
consignments. The remaining five machines were imported in
S
the first half of July 1984 in one consignment.
Of the four machines imported between March and May
1984 two, bearing serial numbers 407520 and 407621, were
initially sold by Eastern to one Colin Knight "subject to
finance". Those sales were not consummated and the machines
were sold to Mr Sykes on 7 July 1984. Those are the
machines the subject of the statement of charge dated 6
September 1984.
The five machines imported in the first half of
July 1984 and which bear serial numbers 408523, 408531,
408532, 408533 and 408534 were the subject of a purchase
agreement which bears date 11 July 1984 between Mazz and
Morlend Finance Corporation (Vic.) Pty. Limited and a lease
agreement dated 23 July 1984 between Morlend Finance
Corporation (Vic.) Pty. Limited and Ian Sykes. Smithers Jd.
found that in entering into the purchase agreement Mazz was
acting as the agent or nominee of Eastern and that the
transaction took place not on the date the purchase
agreement bears but on 14 July 1984. The five machines the
subject of the above transaction are the machines to which
the statement of charge dated 16 August 1984 relates.
12.
When the appeal came on for hearing counsel for the
appellant sought, and was granted, leave to file an amended
notice of appeal. Before considering the issues which arise
upon the amended notice of appeal it should be mentioned
that on 1 October 1984 after the evidence had been concluded
and before addresses had begun Smithers J., after argument,
gave leave to the applicants to amend paragraph 4 of the
statement of charge dated 16 August 1984. In its amended
form paragraph 4 read -
"4(a) On various dates between 12th July 1984
and 30th July 1984 the first named
Respondent acting through the
secondnamed Respondent sold 5 TxX-1
machines to Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd.
Csicl, alternatively sold the said 5
machines to the thirdnamed Respondent.
(b) Alternatively on 14th July 1984
alternatively 23rd July 1984, the
secondnamed Respondent sold the said 5
machines to Moreland Finance Pty. Ltd.
Csicl on behalf of the thirdnamed
Respondent.
{c) By his participation in the sales
aforesaid, the secondnamed respondent
sold the said 5 machines.
(ad) By reason of the said sales the
Respondents infringed the Applicants'
copyright and engaged in conduct which
was misleading and deceptive and so
acted in contempt of the orders recited
in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 hereof."
Again the references to the first named respondent, the
second named respondent and the third named respondent are
references to Eastern, the appellant and Mazz respectively.
13.
The reference to the respondents in sub-paragraph (d) is to
Eastern, the appellant and Mazz.
By way of preface to a consideration of the issues
that arise for decision upon this appeal it is necessary to
reach a conclusion as to the true meaning and scope of order
2 and paragraph (i) of order 3 of the orders made by Sweeney
J. on 4 July 1984 which it is said the appellant disobeyed
and to identify the contempts of which the appellant was
found guilty.
As to the true meaning and scope of order 2 of the
orders made by Sweeney J. on 4 July 1984 there is, I think,
little room for disputation. For the appellant it was
submitted that order 2 was of unclear denotation because,
considered in the light of the basis of the applicant's
claim to relief, it is to be read as enjoining the sale of
machines answering the description set out in paragraph (i)
of that order but only where such sale would infringe the
applicant's copyrights in such machines and would amount to
the misleading or deceptive conduct described in paragraphs
(ii) and (iii) thereof. I am unable to accept that that is
the true meaning and scope of the order. In my opinion the
four paragraphs of the order are to be read disjunctively,
each paragraph enjoining the conduct described within it.
It follows that, for present purposes, Eastern and the
appellant were enjoined by that order from selling, hiring
14.
out or encumbering amusement machines of the kind known as
"TX-1" and bearing thereon the insignia "TX-1" and the name
"Tazmi" whether or not such sale would infringe the
applicants' copyrights in the machines or amount to the
proscribed kind of misleading or deceptive conduct.
Paragraph (i) of order 3 of the orders made by
Sweeney J. on 4 October 1984 enjoins Eastern and the
appellant from parting with power, possession, custody or
control (otherwise than to the applicants) "of the said
amusement machines or any component or parts therefor".
Then follows a comma and the words "embodying any
reproduction of any substantial part of the computer
programme contained within the main control panel of the
said amusement machines".
The language of that paragraph gives rise to its
own difficulties but on the view to which TI have come
concerning the contempts of which the appellant was found
guilty I am relieved from the need to express any definitive
opinion in relation to that paragraph.
As has already been mentioned Smithers J. had
before him two notices of motion each of which referred toa
statement of charge. Each statement of charge alleged a
number of contempts. The formal order entered on 12 October
15.
1984 purporting to record the orders made by Smithers J. on
3 October 1984 contains the following -
nN
"4, The Secondnamed Respondent, Joseph Lazar, be
committed to prison for 3 months in respect of
each of the Notices of Motion. The terms to be
served concurrently."
There is no further particularity in the formal
order of the contempts in respect of which the appellant was
committed. It is, however, in my view apparent from an
4examination of the reasons for judgment delivered by
Smithers J. on 15 October 1984 that the appellant was
committed to prison in respect of his conduct in relation to
the sale on 7 July 1984 of the two machines to Mr Sykes
referred to in paragraph 3 of the statement of charge dated
6 September 1984 and the sale on 14 July 1984 of the five
machines referred to in paragraph 4 of the statement of
charge dated 16 August 1984 (as originally framed and as
amended).
On that view of the matter it is unnecessary to
consider the arguments advanced on behalf of the appellant
in relation to paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of the statement of
charge dated 16 August 1984 or paragraphs 4 and 5 of the
statement of charge dated 6 September 1984.
As most of the argument was addressed to paragraph
4 of the statement of charge dated 16 August 1984 (in its
16.
original and amended forms), it will be convenient to deal
with that paragraph before turning to paragraph 2 of the
later statement of charge.
Paragraph 4 of the statement of charge dated 16
August 1984 alleged that Eastern, acting through the
appellant, sold five TX-1 machines "and thereby infringed
the applicants' copyright and engaged in conduct which was
misleading and deceptive and so acted in contempt" of the
order of the Court.
It is common ground between the parties that
Smithers J. made no finding and, indeed, that no evidence
was adduced before his Honour upon which he could have found
that the conduct in which the appellant engaged amounted to
an infringement of the applicants' copyright or was
misleading or deceptive. If, therefore, findings on those
matters were essential to the proof of the contempts
alleged, there was no sufficient basis to sustain the order
for committal in respect of that charge.
Counsel for the appellant contended that it was
important to focus attention upon what paragraph 4 of the
statement of charge dated 16 August 1984 alleged against the
appellant notwithstanding that during the course of the
hearing the paragraph was amended in the manner already
indicated because, so he submitted, the circumstances in
17.
which that amendment came to be made demonstrate that it was
not intended by the amendment to depart yadically from the
substance of what had been alleged but rather to give
greater particularity to what was alleged and to clarify the
identity of the alleged purchaser of the machines.
In my opinion a fair reading of paragraph 4 leads
to the conclusion that what was being alleged was that, by
selling the five machines, Eastern and Mazz, through the
appellant, were infringing the applicants' copyright and
engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct. Those elements
constituted the gravamen of the charge and it was essential,
in order to support it, that all those elements be proved
and proved beyond reasonable doubt. It is, I think, nothing
to the point to say that it would have been a breach of the
order made by Sweeney J. on 4 July 1984 to sell a machine
answering the description in paragraph 2(i) of that order
Whether or not such sale involved an infringement of the
applicants' copyright or amounted to misleading or deceptive
conduct. The applicants chose to allege the contempt in
language which embraced those elements and it is not, in my
view, now open to them to say that the references to
infringement of copyright and misleading and deceptive
conduct were mere surplusage.
The anendments to paragraph 4 were effected after
the conclusion of the evidence and before the addresses
18.
began. The amendments did more than give more precise
particulars of the transactions alleged to have occurred.
Paragraph (a) identified the seller of the five machines as
being Eastern and the purchaser as being Morlend Finance
Pty. Limited Csicl or Mazz. Paragraph (b) alleged as an
alternative to what was alleged in paragraph (a) that the
sales were made to Morlend Finance Pty. Limited ECsicl] by the
appellant on behalf of Mazz. Paragraph (c) added an
allegation that by his participation in the sales previously
alleged the appellant sold the five machines. Then follows
paragraph (d) in the following terms -
"(d) By reason of the said sales the
Respondents infringed the Applicants'
copyright and engaged in conduct which
was misleading and deceptive and so
acted in contempt of the orders recited
in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 hereof."
In my opinion the division of the paragraph into
the four sub-paragraphs referred to did not alter the
essential nature of the contempts as alleged in paragraph 4
in its original form. The gravamen of the charge was still
that there had been an infringement of copyright and an
engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct.
For the applicants it was submitted that the
references in paragraph 4 in both its original and amended
form to infringement of copyright and misleading or
deceptive conduct could be read distributively with the
19.
result that there were, in effect, in respect of each
alleged sale three contempts - one of a sale simpliciter,
one of a sale involving an infringement of copyright and one
of a sale involving misleading or deceptive conduct. In my
view to read the words distributively could not result in
the charge being read as alleging a sale simpliciter - that
could only be achieved by treating the words in question as
surplusage, an argument I have already rejected.
Although the appellant has now raised the matters
discussed above, the case has the extraordinary feature that
mone of the questions which now arise as to the proper
construction of paragraph 4 of the statement of charge dated
16 August 1984 were raised before Smithers J. From a
perusal of the transcript of proceedings before his Honour
it is apparent that the parties, and the Court, proceeded on
the basis that what was alleged against the appellant was a
sale simpliciter - no evidence was adduced as to
infringement of copyright or as to the misleading or
deceptive nature of the conduct relied upon and the absence
of such evidence was not relied upon in address as a ground
for concluding that the contempt as charged had not been
established. The primary issue debated before Smithers J.
in relation to the five machines was whether the sale was
effected by Mazz ata time when that company was not
enjoined from making any such sale and in relation to the
two machines the subject of the charge dated 6 September
20.
1984 whether the sale took place at a time prior to the
issue of the interlocutory injunction.
In those circumstances 'the question must seriously
be asked whether the appellant, who was represented by
counsel throughout the proceedings before Smithers J.,
should now be permitted to rely on what is seen to bea
fatal divergence between the contempt alleged and the
evidence adduced to support it. In my opinion the
divergence is not a mere irregularity in the proceedings
which the appellant may be taken to have waived by his
conduct. It was in my view a point of substance on which
the appellant is now entitled to rely.
I, therefore, conclude that the appellant was not
properly found guilty of the contempt alleged in paragraph 4
of the statement of charge dated 16 August 1984 (either in
its original or 'amended form) and that the order committing
him to prison in respect of that contempt must be quashed.
I turn now to the contempt alleged in paragraph 3
of the statement of charge dated 6 September 1984. That
allegation is of a sale simpliciter and does not suffer from
the vice which has been found in paragraph 4 of the earlier
statement of charge. Other arguments have, however, been
raised in relation to it and to those I must now turn.
21.
It was submitted on behalf of the appellant that
the applicants had failed to prove that the two machines
XN
found to have been sold by Eastern to Mr Sykes on 7 July
1984 were machines identical with those to which the Court's
order of 4 July 1984 applied. The charge referred to the
two machines by their respective serial numbers but while it
was conceded that those machines were machines of the kind
known as "TX-1" machines, it was submitted that there was no
evidence to show that they were machines which bore the
insignia "TX~-1" or the name "Tazmi".
In my opinion this submission must he rejected.
Although the learned trial Judge did not make any specific
finding to that effect, there was, inmy view, ample
evidence before him upon which he could be satisfied beyond
reasonable doubt that the machines in question bore that
insignia and name. That evidence included the affidavit of
the appellant sworn 13 July 1984 filed in support of the
motion to vary the orders made by Sweeney J. on 4 July 1984.
It was submitted that the learned trial judge was not
entitled to have regard to the material in that affidavit.
In my opinion that submission cannot be accepted. The
contents of the affidavit constituted admissions by the
appellant on which the Court was entitled to rely.
A further submission was made on behalf of the
appellant that the proceedings had miscarried because the
22.
notice of motion dated 6 September 1984, the statement of
charge of the same date referred to therein and the
~S
supporting affidavit had not been served personally on the
appellant. It is common ground that personal service was
not effected. The circumstances in which the notice of
motion came to be filed have been mentioned above. The
facts relating to the sale of the two machines were first
addressed in the affidavit of Mr Sykes sworn on 29 August
1984 and filed in support of the notice of motion dated 16
August 1984. Upon the applicants indicating that they
wished to commence further contempt proceedings in respect
of the sale of the two machines, the matter was adjourned to
a date to be fixed. Because of the difficulty in fixing a
return day the notice of motion dated 6 September 1984 was
not in fact filed until 19 September 1984. The relevant
documents were served on the appellant's solicitors on 19
September 1984 when personal service could not be effected
on the appellant on that day.
The appellant pointed to Order 40, rule 8 of the
Federal Court Rules which provides that the notice of motion
alleging that a contempt has been committed, the statement
of charge provided for by Order 40, rule 6 and the
affidavits in support are to be served personally on the
accused person. Submissions were made that the Court had no
power to dispense with the requirement of personal service,
Order 1, rule 8 having no application so as to override the
23.
express requirement contained in Order 40, rule 8, or,
alternatively, that, if Order 1, rule 8 did apply, it
',
~
conferred a discretion to dispense with personal service
which in the case of contempt proceedings should only be
exercised where it can be shown that the accused person is
evading service.
In my opinion Order 1, rule 8 confers a very wide
discretion on the Court to dispense with personal service
where the Court considers it appropriate to do so. The
power which it confers is not -limited by the express
requirement for personal service in Order 40, rule 8 though
it may be accepted that in the case of contempt proceedings
as, perhaps, in other eases there will be limited
circumstances in which the discretion conferred by the rule
should be exercised. Iam satisfied that the particular
circumstances of this case were such that an exercise of the
discretion to dispense with-personal service was justified.
The appellant's submissions on this aspect of the matter are
rejected.
It was also submitted that the proceedings had
miscarried because Smithers J. entertained at the same time
the motion for the punishment of the appellant for
contempt - a proceeding criminal in nature - and a motion
civil in nature that Eastern, Mazz and the appellant lodge
with the Court any moneys received by them in respect of the
24.
sale of the two machines the subject of the contempt
proceedings. Reference was made to the statement of the
XN
Full Court of this Court in Australian Building Construction
Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation v. David Syme
& Co. Ltd. (1982) 40 A.L.R. 518 at p.523 that -
",.. it would he quite wrong to require a person,
who is answering a charge of criminal contempt
and entitled to invoke the principle that guilt
should be proved beyond reasonable doubt, to deal
at the same time with an associated claim for
civil relief which falls to be determined by
reference to civil standards of proof."
The learned trial Judge made no order upon the
claim that the proceeds of the sale be lodged with the
Court. The appellant raised no objection before the learned
Judge that the application for an order for payment into
Court should not have been joined with the contempt
proceedings and he is not now able to point to any
actual prejudice which he has suffered by reason of the
joinder. While I agree that the joinder ought not to have
been made, the fact that the notice of motion was so
expressed and the further fact that some cross-examination
of witnesses was directed to the issue are not, in my view,
sufficient to provide a basis, in the absence of any
objection by the appellant when the matter was before
Smithers J., for concluding that the proceedings for
contempt miscarried on that account.
25.
T have, therefore, reached the conclusion that no
error has been disclosed on the part of the learned trial
Judge in finding the appellant guilty of contempt in
disobeying the Court's order dated 4 July 1984 in being the
moving party in the sale by Eastern of the two machines to
Mr Sykes on 7 July 1984.
For this contempt the appellant was committed to
prison for three months. The appellant appeals against the
severity of that punishment. The learned trial Judge took a
strong view of the appellant's conduct - his Honour regarded
it as both wilful and serious. With that conclusion I
cannot but agree. The appellant deliberately engaged in
conduct which he must have known was in breach of the
Court's order and then set about endeavouring to convince
the Court that no breach had occurred because the sale took
place prior to the issue by the Court of the interlocutory
injunction. I have discovered no sufficient basis for this
Court to interfere with the punishment which his Honour saw
fit to impose.
In my opinion the appeal, so far as it relates to
the contempt consisting in the appellant's conduct with
respect to the sale of the two machines on 7 July 1984
should be dismissed but allowed in so far as it relates to
the contempt consisting in the appellant's conduct in
respect of the sale of the five machines on 14 July 1984.
The order committing the
26.
appellant to prison for three
months for the contempt relating to the sale on 7 July 1984
should be affirmed.
XM
I certify that this and
the preceding 25 pages are
a true copy of the Reasons
for Judgment herein of the
Honourable Mr Justice
Neaves.
Hogar
Associate
Dated: 9 February 1985