Compagnie Industrielle de Precontrainte et D'Equipment des Constructions SA v First Melbourne Securities Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 660

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Compagnie Industrielle de Precontrainte et D'Equipment des Constructions SA v First Melbourne Securities Pty Ltd

[1999] FCA 660

COPYRIGHT – Infringement – engineering drawings of expansion joints – whether respondents infringed copyright in engineering drawings in developing and producing expansion joints – whether sufficient similarity between copyright drawings and drawings and joints of the respondents – relevance of finding of actual copying – whether copyright drawings constitute a 'corresponding design' – whether the copyright drawings can be 'judged by the eye' – whether copyright drawings that contain data enabling manufacture of the article depicted constitute a 'method or principle of construction'

WORDS & PHRASES - "design" - "method or principle of construction" - "judged by the eye"

Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) ss 14(1), 21(3), 31(1)(b)(i), 36(1) and 77 Designs Act 1906 (Cth) s 4(1) Amalgamated Mining Services Pty Ltd v Warman International Ltd (1992) 24 IPR 461, considered SW Hart & Co Pty Ltd v Edwards Hot Water Systems (1985) 159 CLR 466, applied Edwards Hot Water Systems v SW Hart [1983] 1 IPR 228, considered SW Hart & Co Pty Ltd v Edwards Hot Water Systems (1982) AIPC 90-017, cited Henley Arch Pty Ltd v Clarendon Homes (Aust) Pty Ltd (1998) 41 IPR 443, applied Eagle Homes Pty Ltd v Austec Homes Pty Ltd (1999) 161 ALR 503, applied Hosokawa Micron International Inc v Fortune (1990) 26 FCR 393, cited Shacklady v Atkins (1994) 30 IPR 387, cited Dart Industries v Décor Corp Pty Ltd (1989) 15 IPR 403, applied Interlego AG v Croner Trading Pty Ltd (1992) 39 FCR 348, applied AMP Inc v Utiliux Pty Ltd [1972] RPC 103, considered Interlego AG v Croner Trading (1991) 21 IPR 373, applied Firmagroup Australia Pty Ltd v Byrne & Davidson Doors (Vic) Pty Ltd (1987) 180 CLR 483, considered COMPAGNIE INDUSTRIELLE DE PRECONTRAINTE ET D'EQUIPMENT DES CONSTRUCTIONS SA v FIRST MELBOURNE SECURITIES PTY LTD VG 110 OF 1995 JUDGE: MERKEL J DATE: 20 MAY 1999 PLACE: MELBOURNE