Stack v Brisbane City Council [1999] FCA 1279

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Stack v Brisbane City Council [1999] FCA 1279 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - petty patent - entitlement - nominated person - consideration of who may be granted a patent - divisional applications - discussion of co-inventors - assignment of patent - consideration of successor in title of patent and original grantee - entitlement of employee to workplace invention. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - invalidity - whether the claims of the petty patent are fairly based on the specifications - whether the claims lack clarity. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - priority date of the petty patent - divisional and associated applications - whether claims are fairly based on provisional specification to obtain earlier priority date. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - manner of manufacture within s 6 Statute of Monopolies - whether the invention claimed is a manner of manufacture - whether the invention was a mere collocation of well-known integers - whether inventive step disclosed in complete specification. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - obviousness - prior art base - whether invention claimed had inventive step when compared to the prior art base. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - patents - novelty - compared with prior art base - discussion and application of the test "reverse infringement" for novelty. Patents Act 1990 (Cth) ss 5, 7, 15, 18, 28, 29, 38, 40, 43, 138 Patents Regulations Regs 3.1, 3.12, 6.6, 19.1 Stack v The State of Queensland (1996) 68 FCR 247 Cited Martin and the Miles Martin Pen Coy Ld v Scrib Ld (1950) 67 RPC 127 Appr Stack v Brisbane City Council (No 2) (1996) 67 FCR 510 Cited Worthington Pumping Engine Company v Moore (1902) 20 RPC 41 Cited Fine Industrial Commodities Limited v Powling (1954) 71 RPC 253 Cited Sterling Engineering Co Ld v Patchet [1955] AC 534 Cited Welch Perrin & Co Pty Ltd v Worrel (1961) 106 CLR 588 Cited Olin Corporation v Super Cartridge Co Pty Ltd (1977) 180 CLR 236 Cited Electric & Musical Industries Ld v Lissen Ld and Boonton Research Corporation Ld (1939) 56 RPC 23 Cited Henriksen v Tallon Limited [1965] RPC 434 (HL) Appl No-Fume Ld v Frank Pitchford & Co Ld (1935) 52 RPC 231 (CA) Appl Valensi v British Radio Corporation [1973] RPC 337 Appl CCOM Pty Ltd v Jiejing Pty Ltd (1994) 51 FCR 260 (FC) Foll Stauffer Chemical Company's Application [1977] RPC 33 Cited Coopers Animal Health Australia Ltd v Western Stock Distributors Pty Ltd (1987) 15 FCR 382 FC Cited NV Phillips Gloeilampenfabrieken v Mirabella International Pty Ltd (1995) 183 CLR 655 Cited National Research Development Corporation v Commissioner of Patents (1959) 102 CLR 252 Cited Advanced Building Systems Pty Ltd v Ramset Fasteners (Aust) Pty Ltd (1998) 194 CLR 171 Cited British Celanese Ltd v Courtaulds (1935) 52 RPC 171 cited Palmer v Dunlop Perdriau Rubber Co Ltd (1937) 59 CLR 30 Cited British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company Ltd v Braulik (1910) 27 RPC 209 Cited Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co v Beiersdorf (Australia) Ltd (1980) 144 CLR 253 Foll Tidy Tea Ltd v Unilever Australia Ltd (1995) 32 IPR 405 Appr Meyers Taylor Pty Ltd v Vicarr Industries Ltd (1977) 137 CLR 228 Cited Nicaro Holdings Pty Ltd v Martin Engineering Co (1990) 91 ALR 513 (FC) Foll Winner v Ammar Holdings Pty Ltd (1993) 41 FCR 205 (FC) Cited C Van der Lely NV v Bamfords Ltd [1963] RPC 61 Foll