Wimmera Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd v RGC Mineral Sands Ltd RGC Mineral Sands Ltd v Wimmera Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd & Anor [1997] FCA 693

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS - Infringement proceeding - Application to court to amend specification - Notice to produce documents - Application to set aside - Patentee's duty of disclosure on application to amend - Relevance of non-disclosure to exercise of court's discretion to allow amendment - Documents relevant to duty of disclosure - Privileged documents - Disclosure on application to amend - Whether notice to produce an abuse of process - Subpoenas to non parties to produce documents - Whether to be set aside. Patents Act, 1990 ss40(2), (3), 114, 115, 200. Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd v Evans Medical Ltd [1989] 1 FSR 561 Chevron Research Company's Patent [1970] RPC 58 Hsiung's Patent [1992] RPC 497 Bentley Engineering Co Ltd's Patent [1981] RPC 361 Terrell on Patents 14th ed (1994) Commissioner for Railways v Small (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 564 Finnie v Dalglish [1982] 1 NSWLR 400 Re Excel Finance Corporation (1993) 41 FCR 346 Lucas Industries Ltd v Hewitt (1978) 45 FLR 174 Universal Press Pty Ltd v Provest Ltd (unreported, 14 July 1989) WIMMERA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS PTY LTD (ACN 004 302 139) v RGC MINERAL SANDS LIMITED (ACN 008 763 666) and RGC MINERAL SANDS LIMITED v WIMMERA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS PTY LIMITED and THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS VG 215 of 1994

SUNDBERG J MELBOURNE 30 JULY 1997

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA ) ) VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY ) No VG 215 of 1994 ) GENERAL DIVISION ) BETWEEN: WIMMERA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS PTY LTD (ACN 004 302 139) Applicant and RGC MINERAL SANDS LIMITED (ACN 008 763 666) Respondent AND: RGC MINERAL SANDS LIMITED Cross-Claimant and WIMMERA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS PTY LIMITED First Cross-Respondent and THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS Second Cross-Respondent JUDGE: SUNDBERG J PLACE: MELBOURNE DATED: 30 JULY 1997 MINUTES OF ORDER THE COURT ORDERS THAT: