Trade Practices Commission v. QDSV Holdings P/L [1994] FCA 1021
Federal Court of Australia
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| JUDGMENT No. O24 IE.
CATCHWORDS
TRADE PRACTICES - consumer protection - whether label contamed misleading or
deceptive representations as to the country of origin of the goods - meaning of "made in
Australia" - meaning of "component" - importance of relative size of representations
appearing on the label - consideration of substantial transformation test under customs
legislation.
Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), ss 52, 53 (eb) 22 DEC 1994
FEDERAL COURT OF
AUSTRALIA
PRINCIPAL
REGISTRY
Thorpe v CA Imports Pty Limited (1990) ATPR 140-996
Netcomm (Australia) Pty Limited v Dataplex Pty Limited (1988) 81 ALR 101
Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association v The United States 207 US 556 (1908)
Trade Practices Amendment (Origin Labelling) Bill 1994 (Cth)
Rules of Origin in Internationa] Trade, Vermulst, Waer and Bourgeois eds, 1994
'
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY
GENE, DIVISION
No G 651 of 1994
Nee ee ae ee
BETWEEN: TRADE PRACTICES COMMISSION
Applicant
AND: QDSV_HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED
t/as BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA
Respondent
Ea
Coram: "Davies J
Date: 16 December 1994
Place: Sydney
MINUTES OF ORDER
THE COURT DECLARES THAT
The cardboard labels appearing in exhibits A and C are in breach
of ss 52 & 53 (eb) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth)
and ORDERS THAT:
(1) The respondent, whether by itself its servants, agents or
otherwise, be restramed from selling or distributing its toy
koalasif the infringing labels are attached to or associated
therewith.
(2) The applicant have leave to apply for any further order as
May seem meet.
(3) The respondent pay the costs of the proceedings.
NOTE: Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal
Court Rules
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY
No G 651 of 1994
Ne ee Ne ee ee ee
GENERAL DIVISION
BETWEEN: TRADE PRACTICES COMMISSION
Applicant
AND: QDSV_HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED
t/as BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA
Respondent
Coram: Davies J
Date: 16 December 1994
Place: Sydney
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
In this application, the Trade Practice Commission ("the Commission") seeks
orders under s 80 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ("the Act") seeking to restrain
labelling which is alleged to be misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive in
breach of s 52 of the Act and which 1s alleged to make a false or misleading
Tepresentation concerning the place of origin of goods in breach of s 53(eb) of the Act.
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The respondent, ODSV Holdings Pty Limited, which trades under the name "Bush
Fnends Australia", is a wholesaler of soft animal toys. In early 1994, QDSV commenced
to supply a range of toy animals, in respect of which it used what is alleged to be an
unregistered mark, "Aussie Born". One of these toys is a koala, which is sold in several
sizes. Exhibit A, a koala some 17 cm high, is made of soft synthetic plush fabric which
is grey in colour, but the belly and the front parts of two fluffy ears are white. Its claws
are of black felt, 1t has black and brown eyes on a white felt background and a large
black nose. The koala is in a sitting position, its hmbs outstretched and its head turned
slightly upwards and to the left.
When the koalas were first marketed, a cardboard label was stapled to the left
ear. On the outward side of the tag was a picture of a koala on a green background and
im large letters the words "AUSSIE BORN". On the other side, this description
appeared:-
* The AUSSIE
BORN range is made
in The Hunter Valley,
Australia by BUSH
FRIENDS AUSTRALIA
(a wholly owned Austrahan
Company) and meets all international
child safety standards. The mayor component
of the manufacturing process uses Australian
labour and materials. In order to maintain the highest
quality and value, some elements (including the casings)
have been purchased abroad.
BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA - WORLD WIDE GUARANTEE
If you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for
refund or exchange to BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA,
96 Gloucester Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Phone: (02) 240 6150
AUSTRALIAN MADE *
-3-
The parties are in agreement that this label was misleading. In September 1994,
QDSV advised the Commussion that it would no longer use that label. Accordingly, in
relation to that label, it 1s sufficient that there be a declaration of breach. No further use
of the label is threatened.
The second label has on one side a depiction of a koala on a yellow background
and the words in large letters "AUSSIE BORN". Against those letters in small print are
the letters "TM". Evidence has been given, which I accept, that the use of those letters
1s an indication to the public that the term "AUSSIE BORN" 1s used as a trademark.
On the other side of the label is this description:-
The
AUSSIE BORN
range from the Hunter
Valley, Australia is a product of
BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA
(a wholly owned Australian Company)
The major component of the manufacturing
cost 1s in Australian Jabour and matemals. In
order to maintain the highest quality and value,
some elements have been purchased abroad.
Gentle Machine Wash
refund or exchange to BUSH FRIENDS AUSTRALIA.
Level 5, 62 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Phone: (02) 241 4888
MADE IN AUSTRALIA
WITH SOME IMPORTED COMPONENTS
-4-
The koala was designed by QDSV. The fur fabric is produced in China. It was
selected by Mr Bruce Arrata, a director of QDSV, who went to China for that task. The
fur fabric is purchased by another firm in China which produces a wide range of soft toys
for QDSV. Many of these toys are fully manufactured by the firm in China.
However, in the case of the "Aussie Born" koalas, the Chinese firm cuts the fur
fabric into shape and forms holes therein so as to enable the eyes and the nose to be
inserted later. The firm then sews the pieces together, leaving the head and torso
separate. The head is comprised of six pieces, there being a grey and a white piece for
each of the ears, a piece for the back of the head and a piece for the front of the head.
The torso is made of two pieces for the back and a piece for the front, an additional
piece for each of the bottom legs and two pieces for each of the upper legs, a total of
9 pieces. Into the upper and lower legs are sewn fabric claws. There is also a piece of
velcro attached to the upper limbs so that they can be joined together and there is sewn
into the koala a tag which, on one side, shows "Bush Friends Australia" and, on the other,
"All new materials, Gentle Machine Wash Reg Design Applied". The reference to the
design application 1s false but we are not concerned with that.
When the process of sewing has been completed, the head and torso parts are
inside out and it is in that form that they are sent to QDSV in Australia.
The eyes and nose of the koala are produced m Hong Kong or Taiwan. The
appropiate number of noses and eyes are usually sent by the Chinese firm to QDSV in
Australia together with the head and torso; but QDSV also keeps a stock of eye and
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nose parts. The eyes, the nose and the fittings for them are invoiced separately from the
sewn skins.
The koalas are completed at a factory at Dungog, New South Wales, which QDSV
has established. The casings are turned the correct way and the noses and eyes fitted
and clipped into position at the factory itself. The heads and torsos are then given out
to piece workers who, at their own homes, insert the filling and sew the heads and torsos
together and make any stitching repairs as may be required. The piece workers also
brush each toy. Each koala is given a final inspection in the factory and the labels are
then affixed by a plastic staple to the left ear.
The parties have agreed on the following description of the manufacturing
processes carried out in Australia:-
"a) The torso casing 1s turned from inside out to right side out and shaken and brushed 10
remove excess fluff.
b) The arms and legs of the casing are pushed out and extended.
c) All seams are checked for sewing faults and necessary repairs made by hand.
d) The head casing 1s turned from mside out to night side out and the ears are extended.
The seams are checked and repaired if necessary.
e) A check is made to sec that the eye holes and nose aperture are in the correct positions
which involves checking the holes and apertures against a chart for correct sizing.
f) The correct nose and eye size 1s selected from the Respondent's size chart The eyes are
then affixed to the desired position mn the eye apertures by a manually operated machine
after a piece of white material has been correctly placed at the back of each eyeball.
g) The nosepiece 1s then affixed to the nose aperture by a similar process.
h) The pressure for the eyes 1s different to the pressure for the nose and the pressure must
be set at a level that does not break the eye or nose but 1s hard enough to push the
locking washer over the locking ridge on the back of the eye and nose. In this manner
the locking washers are utilised in the process for affixing the eyes and noses to the face
i)
&)
1)
P)
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of the toy. It 1s necessary to check the pneumatic pressure on the locking machine which
affixes the eyes and nose to prevent damage to them
Thereafter the filling of the casings 1s commenced, starting at the extremities, that 1s the
hands and feet. The filling process is carried out by hand
The filling continucs with the stuffing of the head and the nose area to achieve the
correct shaping of the face. A little 1s added at a tume and 1s pushed into place with a
wooden rod.
The filling used 1s a 70-30% blend of silicone coated synthetic material which 1s
purchased by the Respondent in Austraha.
After filling 1s completed the head 1s sewn on to the torso of the casing The head must
be positioned so that 1t fits in proper alignment with the torso. The position of the head
varies according to the particular design and look desired for the toy In some imstances
the head 1s sewn at a 45° angle while in other instances it 1s sewn at a 90° angle. The
sewers are familiar with variations of designs and fit the head in the appropriate position
to accord with the design bnef. The first stitch 1s positioned at the back of the head and
1s double knotted to anchor the head in the correct position. The stitchmg then
continues around the neck region mm a blanket stitch pattern and the tension is pulled
tightly on every third or fourth stitch. It 1s necessary to place some extra fill into the
back section of the neck to properly support the head and the final stitching 1s then
completed with a double knot to avoid any unravelling of the stitching.
The inner ears are then hand stitched to the side of the head so that the ears sit forward
and give a proper 'koala' appearance.
It 1s not easy to create an authentic koala look. In some instances 2 stitch 1s made from
under the chin area of the toy to the bottom of the left eye and then returned to under
the chin area and up to the right eye and again returned to under the chin area.
Thereafter the toy 1s hand brushed all over using a claw tooth steel brush A steel spike
1s Often used On the seams to pull out small pieces of fabric which have been caught in
the scams and which give an untidy appearance
The toy 1s then the subject of a final inspection process dunng which the production
manager examines each toy, checking the general appearance, the consistency of the filling
and the contours of the toy follow the design and pattern It 1s checked to ensure that
the stitching 1s neat and well concealed and tied off ughtly.
The label 1s then affixed by a plastic staple to the left ear im a way which ensures that the
plastic earplug goes completely through the ear and the tag does not cover the face of the
toy. The labels are triangular in shape so as to not conceal the appearance of the koala's
facial features. The labels are affixed so that the 'Aussie Born' side of the label faces
outwards.
The toys are then hand packed into cartons to comply wit [sic] particular customer
orders."
-7-
As can be seen, all the materials, except the filling, are overseas materials. The
fur, the eyes, the nose, the claws, the velcro and the "Bush Friends" tag are overseas
products.
The Managing Director of QDSV, Mr G.B. Hodge, gave evidence that the
average cost of production of the koalas was $10.19 per toy and that:-
"This amount 1s made up of the following
Q) $1.65 in respect of imported materials
@) $1.28 in respect of money expended in Australia other than on labour
or overhead
(iii) $ 7.26 in respect of wages directly applicable to the toy and a
proportionate share of overheads allocated to the toy
3. Of the average production cost of $10.19, 17% 1s the amount paid for
the imported material and 83% 1s the average local content component."
It is, I think, unfortunate that an independent accountant was not called to investigate
the books of QDSV and to give a breakup of costs. In respect of items (ii) and (iii), Mr
Hodge included such matters as the cost of the label, which is irrelevant as the
description in the label does not refer to the label itself. Moreover, all overheads were
included, including the cost of effecting sales. Also included in the Australian costs were
the costs of the employee who travels to and from China constantly to supervise the
production being undertaken by the Chinese firm. Included also were the costs of any
trip undertaken to China by the directors of QDSV.
I think that I need not attempt to work out a precise figure for myself. It may be
noted that, in the Trade Regulation Reporter, 7775 at 11,442, there is a note of
advisory opinions in the United States in which it was thought that, if 23% of the cost of
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a computer was accounted for by foreign parts, it would be improper to designate the
computer as "Made m USA" and, if 20% of the component parts were imported, it would
be improper to label a product as manufactured by a particular American company. I
do not rely upon these mdications as authorities, but simply as indications that the
relative costs incurred in relation to what was done in China and what was done in
Australia in the present case are in the range where, if the case is such as to make the
finding appropriate, it could be held that the words "Made in Australia" were misleading.
Of course, a difficulty in using a comparison of this type is that the wages in China
are so much lower than those in Austraha. Accordingly, a mere comparison of cost does
not accurately indicate the extent of the work done in one country as against that carried
out in the other.
In Thorpe v CA Imports Pty Limited (1990) ATPR 940-996, Sheppard J held that
the labelling of a toy koala as "Made mm Australia" was misleading. At 50,966-7, Sheppard
J said:-
"It seems to me that there were three essential steps in the process of manufacture that
1s Nn question In saying this, I agree with submissions made by counsel for the
prosecutor that it 1s not appropriate to include the designing of the koala bears as a step
in their manufacture Many articles are designed m one country, but made in another.
The first essential step was the cutting and sewing of the material to form the casing, the
second, the filling of the casing, and the third, the further sewing and checking
procedures, It 1s true that, of these, only the first was carried out in Korea, but in my
opinion that was the step which transformed the material which was used into the
essential shape and appearance of a koala bear. It 1s equally truc that each of the three
steps was an essential element in the production process. Without any one of them, no
koala bear would have been produced. So it might be just as wrong to say that the bears
were made in Korea Only a statement such as I have formulated above correctly
describes the position As Jenkinson J. poimted out in the Wes Lofts case [Korozynsia v
Wes Lofts (Aust) Pty Ltd (1986) 10 FCR 348], a statement such as 'Made in Australia' 1s
an historical statement. The expression suggests at least substantial manufacture in
Australia. In my opinion the fact that the casings were cut and sewn 1n Korea prevents
-9-
the statement from being one which can be correctly applied to the articles in question
here"
It should be noted, however, that in that case, the work done in Korea completed
the koalas to a much greater extent than occurs in the present. The facial features were
completed, and the ears, the legs and the body were all sewn together in Korea. When,
the casings, which were inside out when imported, were turned in Australia, there was
in appearance a bear, though a bear which lacked filling.
In the present case, the imported components were too separate and mcomplete
to have that character.
In Netcomm (Australia) Pty Limited v Dataplex Pty Limited (1988) 81 ALR 101,
Gummow J discussed the words "Made 1n Australia" in this way, at 106-7:-
"What then 1s meant by a false or misleading representation concerning the place of
origin of goods? 'Origin' directs attention, consistently with the Oxford English
Dictionary meaning, to the beginnings of existence of the goods with reference to a source
or cause of that existence, the concept is that of beginning regarded in connection with
its cause. In s 4(1) of the TP Act, 'goods' 1s defined as including such sophisticated items
as ships and aircraft as well as primary produce such as mmerals and crops. With
munerals or crops, 1t may be quite easy to state what 1s their place of origin and so to
characterise represcntations concerning that place of origin as being or not being false
ot misleading The concept of 'place of origin' will present difficulties where
sophisticated articles derive their value and character as articles of commerce by various
circumstances involving design and manufacture. There 1s then more likely to be a
complex of integers constituting the origin of those articles. The present 1s such a case.
To say of goods that they were made m Australia plainly is to make a statement
concerning their place of origin The making of goods involves the steps and procedures
which preceded and resulted m the formation or composition of the goods: cf Korczynska
v Wes Lofts (Aust) Pty Lid (1986) ATPR 47-206 at 47,212 When used im relation to
equipment, such as the DPX-224 modem, and without a qualifying context to limit it, the
expression 'Made 1n Australia' suggests that the steps in the composition or construction
of the item, mcluding the design work which makes it the technically proficient
equipment it 1s promoted to be, were taken in Australia The expression will, depending
on the context, amount to a representation, and depending on the facts the representation
may be false or misleading,"
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In the view of Gummow J, the words "Made in Australa" make a representation as to
the place of origin and a statement which concerns the steps and procedures which
preceded and resulted in the formation or composition of the goods. His Honour
distinguished such a statement from "built in Australia" which his Honour, at 107,
considered not to relate to the origin in the sense of design and manufacture but rather
to "the fitting together of separate parts".
Gummow J's exposition was not followed by the draftsman of the Trade Practices
Amendment (Origin Labelling) Bill 1994. The Bill provides that the description "Made
im Australia" may not be used unless "the goods acquired their essential character or
qualities im Australia", of which circumstance the following examples are given in the
Notes accompanying cl. 65VE:-
"(1) The goods were given their essential function, shape or appearance in Australia.
(2) | The mayor processes which transformed the goods from their component parts into the
finished goods happened in Australia.
(3) If the goods are promoted as having certain characteristics or functions, the goods were
given the characteristics or functions i Australia"
The approach taken in the Bill is similar to that which has been adopted in
relation to drawback and preferential tariff provisions of customs legislation. In
Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association v The United States, 207 US 556 (1908) Mr Justice
McKenna, delivering the opinion of the Court, said at 562:-
"Manufacture implies a change, but every change 1s not manufacture, and yet every change
1n an article 1s the result of treatment, labour and manipulation But something more 1s
necessary, as set forth and illustrated in Hartranft v Wiegmann, 121 U.S. 609. There must
be a transformation; a new and different article must emerge, 'having a distinctive name,
character or use."
-l-
The substantial transformation test has had wide application m the United States
notwithstanding that, as Joseph A. LaNasa III has observed in 34 Harvard International
Law Journal 381 at 385:-
*The substantial transformation standard gives customs officials the freedom to apply
the standard on a highly subjective, case-by-case basis that often results in seemingly
arbitrary decisions. In reviewing these origin determinations, courts have had a great
deal of trouble discerning the point at which a processing Operation causes a product
to be substantially transformed, and as a result, they have developed a variety of
inconsistently apphed criteria. Not only have the courts failed to develop a umform
set of criteria for substantial transformation, but they have also apphed the test
inconsistently in similar situations depending upon the purpose of the determination "
The International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs
Procedures 1973 (the Kyoto Convention) adopted the concept of substantial
transformation, though it modified it by the principle of change of tariff heading, as did
the US Canada Free Trade Agreement 1988. See G N Horlick & M A Meyer mn Rules
of Origin in International Trade, Vermulst, Waer and Bourgeois eds, 1994, at 404.
I mention these matters so as to emphasise that the substantial transformation test
has particular relevance for customs purposes when it is necessary to decide whether a
particular manufacturer or importer should obtain the benefit of a drawback or a tariff
preference in the circumstance that parts of the manufacturing process have occurred in
more than one country.
In Australia, as is pointed out by K Steele & D Moulis in Rules of Origin in
International Trade at 200, Australian rules of origin did not originate from a need to
define the countries from which all goods originated, but rather as specifications of the
conditions under which tariff preference would be accorded to particular goods. The
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current provisions, ss 153A-153T of the Customs Act 1901 (Cth), certamly cannot be
regarded as a relevant guide to the present issue.
Even in the United States, where the substantial transformation test 15 firmly
established, matters arising in the context of trade regulation may be considered under
somewhat different tests. Thus, the Trade Regulations Reporter, when dealing with the
subject of misrepresentation, states at 17775, p 11,422, inter alia:-
"Cases regarding misrepresentation of origin of products are legion. Issues range from
calling domestic products imports and vice versa to use of names of places where products
were not made in the product name. Symbols representing origin and language have been
attacked. Affirmative disclosure might permit use of some of the challenged appellations
Special care must be taken with respect to products of varied origin, such as perfumes
compounded in the United States contaiming oils imported from France, or products
'made in the U.S.A.' containing foreign parts For example, although more than 50% of
the parts of a product are of domestic origin, or more than 50% of total cost 1s the result
of domestic labor, it may nevertheless not be unqualifiedly represented as 'Made in
U.S.A"
I have already mentioned two of the examples which the paragraph gives.
I therefore approach the current issue by giving to the words used on the label
their meaning in ordinary parlance, not the meaning which would be given by the
application of the substantial transformation test, or 1ts equivalent, the essential character
test which appears in the Trade Practices Amendment (Origin Labelling) Bill. In my
opinion, the ordinary meaning of the words "Made in Australia" is that enunciated by
Gummow J in Netcomm.
I should say, however, that if the substantial transformation or essential character
test were applied in the present case, I would hold that the component parts were
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transformed into a toy koala in Austraha and that, prior to their transformation m
Australia, they were merely component parts. In my opmion, the goods obtained their
essential character as a toy koala in Australia. The skill exercised m Australia in filling
the head and the torso, and in sewing the two parts together at the correct angle, was
crucial to achieving the desired result.
Notwithstanding the wide application received by the concept of substantial
transformation for the purposes of customs law, this is not the context in which the issue
arises in the present case. The present issue is whether consumers in Australia would
be misled or deceived or would be likely to be misled or deceived by the respondent's
labelling and whether there has been a misleading representation in Australia as to the
place of origin of the goods.
In my opmion, the subject toy koalas were manufactured partly in Chima and
partly in Australia. This 1s not a case where certain parts which were produced for
general sale in another country were purchased and imported into Australia and
incorporated into a new product in Australia. The koalas were designed in Australia but
were partly manufactured in China by a firm which was producing goods for QDSV and
the production of which was supervised by an employee of QDSV.
In the course of the hearing, evidence was given that, if ingenuity were applied,
the torso and/or the head could be converted to uses other than that of making a koala.
That may be so, but the fabric was cut in China for the specific purpose of being made
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into koalas and it was there sewn together for that purpose. I did not find the evidence
helpful.
It is clear that a significant part of the manufacturing process occurred in China.
There is also the point that the components, in the sense of all the parts and materials
save the fillmg, were produced overseas, in China or principally in China. But it is not
necessary, or J think useful, n the present case to attempt to put a precise percentage
upon the extent of the part played by China in the manufacture.
It is in this light that I turn to the second label. It may be noted that, on the
reverse side of the label, the words "Made in Australia" are twice as large as any other
words on that side of the label and very much larger than most of the words.
Size is important. The larger the print, the more it catches the eye. Even without
his glasses, the trial Judge can read the words "Made in Australia" on that side of the
label and also the words "Aussie Born" on the other side of the label; though he cannot
read any other part of the label.
As a matter of strict theory, if words such as "Made in Australia" are misleading
and deceptive, qualifying words which are added to render the message accurate should
be in the same sized print, for the qualification is just as important as the description
itself.
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I consider that the words "Made in Australia", in the print size in which they
appear, are misleading and deceptive. Only some of the manufacturing process, in the
sense explained by Gummow J mn Netcomm, occurred in Australia. A significant part of
the manufacturmg process occurred m China and most of the components were
imported.
The next matter is the qualification contained m the words "with some imported
components". The word "component" 1s ordinarily understood to be "a constituent part".
See the Macquarie Dictionary, meaning 2. A consumer would take the term as referring
to the materials making up the koala, such as the fur, the nose and the eyes. A
consumer would be misled. Most, not some, of the components are imported.
A statement which appears after "Bush Friends Australia (a wholly owned
Australian company)" 1s "The major component of the manufacturing cost is in Australian
labour and materials." In the present case, the major component of cost in relation to
materials is the cost of the mmported materials. Moreover, the reference to Australian
labour fails to direct attention away from the fact that there was substantial Chinese
labour involved in the manufacture of the koalas and that labour in China 1s paid at a
fraction of the rate of Australan labour. Again, the statement appears to me to be
misleading and deceptive.
The next statement is "In order to maintain the highest quality and value, some
elements have been purchased abroad." That 1s misleading in several ways because the
word "element" in association with the word "purchased" would be taken to refer to parts
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and materials. Most, not some, of these were purchased abroad. Moreover, the
reference to "some elements have been purchased abroad" misleads the consumer, for
the fact is that the arrangements between QDSV and the Chinese firm mvolve the use
of Chinese labour to undertake a part of the manufacturimg process, a process which is
supervised by an employee of QDSV. Persons reading the label would not understand
that Chinese labour is used in the manufacture of the toy koalas and that this is done,
not to maintain quality, but to reduce the cost.
The use of the trademark "Aussie Born" on the front side of the label enhances
the umpression given by the label that, apart from some mmported components, the koala
is an Australian product. Thus, the trademark adds to the misleading and deceptive
nature of the label. J have not attempted to form a view as to whether the words "Aussie
Born" would be misleading and deceptive absent the words "Made in Australia" on the
reverse side of the label. The mmputation arismg from the mark could alter depending
upon what was said on the reverse side of the label.
I am of the view that the second label misrepresented the origin of the goods.
They were not made m Australia. They were made partly in China and partly in
Australia. Accordingly there has been a breach of s 53(eb) of the Act.
Two other points were raised. It was said on behalf of QDSV that, if an
injunction were to issue, the respondent would have to close its factory at Dungog and
that the many persons which it employs there on a full or a part-time basis would lose
employment. I understand the argument; but if the label 1s misleading, it should not be
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permitted. It would be unfair to the retailers of the koalas, to consumers and to other
manufacturers and importers of competing toys that the respondent should be allowed
to market its product in a misleading way.
Secondly, it was put on behalf of QDSV that the Australia Council had certified
the use of the words "Made in Australia" for many products which were manufactured
in a manner similar to that of the respondent's koalas. However, such evidence as there
is before the Court shows that the material given to the Australia Council, when
application was made for certification, did not disclose that there was to be an overseas
manufacturing process equivalent to that which the respondent's product undergoes in
China. Accordingly, I consider that this part of the evidence was not helpful. Nor did
I gain assistance from the examples m evidence of names and packaging of the goods
which suggest a connection with Australia. It 1s impossible to deduce from this evidence
either that the advertising of other competitors 1s misleading and deceptive or that the
labelling of the respondent is not.
For these reasons, I am of the view that the Commission should succeed in its
application.
I shall make declarations that both labels were in breach of ss 52 & 53(eb) of the
Act. There will be an injunction restraming QDSV from sellmg or distributing the toy
koalas to which the infringing labels are attached. I shall reserve leave to the
Commussion to apply should the Commission seek any further order that QDSV recall
such of the toy koalas with either of the labels attached as yet remain unsold to an
- 18 -
ultimate consumer. The application should be supported by maternal providmg evidence
as to the feasibility of a recall, as to the number of toy koalas likely to be involved and
as to the likely cost of the recall. Should the Commussion seek a correctional
advertisement, details of the advertisement, of its benefits and costs should similarly be
given.
QDSV should pay the costs of these proceedings.
I certify that this and the 17 preceding pages
are a true copy of the reasons for judgment herein of
the Honourable Mr Justice Davies.
Associate:
Date: 16 December 1994
Counsel for the applicant: I D Faulkner
Solicitors for the applicant: Australian Government Solicitor
Counsel for the respondent: P W Neil
Solicitors for the respondent: Chrysiliou Moore Chrysiliou
Date of hearing: 9, 10 November 1994
Date of judgment: 16 December 1994