Australian Trade Commission v Disktravel [1999] FCA 1399

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Trade Commission v Disktravel [1999] FCA 1399

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Export Market Development Grants Act 1974 (Cth) – whether expenses fall within qualifying export development expenditure – primary and principal purpose of expenditure – how assessed – subjective and objective evidence – mis-statement by Tribunal in relation to purpose – conflating of objective and subjective evidence with objective and subjective purposes – substantive fact finding function undertaken by Tribunal – no underlying error of principle – no reviewable error – eligible industrial property rights – whether grant claimants owned eligible industrial property rights – consideration of rights contemplated by copyright in definition of eligible industrial property – whether claimed expenditure related to the disposal of eligible industrial property rights – copyright in software and ancillary works – distribution of CD ROM disks incorporating software – distribution to travel agents – reservation of intellectual property by licensor – no publication – no exercise of rights comprised in copyright – no eligible industrial property rights owned by claimants – no entitlement to grant. WORDS AND PHRASES – "qualifying export development expenditure" – "primary and principal purpose" – "eligible industrial property rights" – "copyright". Export Market Development Grants Act 1974 (Cth) ss 31, 11Z(8), 38, 12(2), 14(1), 11A(1), 3(1) Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) ss 10, 29, 31, 13, 15 Patents Act 1990 s 13 Trade Marks Act 1995 s 20 Nomad Films International Pty Ltd v Export Development Grants Board (1986) 11 FCR 67, discussed Australian Trade Commission v F & F Asia Pty Ltd (1996) 69 FCR 252, referred to Parker Pen (Aust) Pty Ltd v Export Development Grants Board (1983) 46 ALR 612, applied Export Development Grants Board v Miller Pohang Coal Co Pty Ltd (1985) 61 ALR 125, cited Collector of Customs v Pozzolanic Enterprises Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 280, applied Australian Trade Commission v Film Funding and Management Pty Ltd (1990) 24 FCR 595, cited Autodesk Inc v Dyason (1992) 173 CLR 331, cited Avel Pty Ltd v Multicoin Amusements Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 88, applied Australian Trade Commission v World Geoscience Corporation Ltd (Unrep, 20/8/97, Kiefel J), cited Jolley v FCT (1989) 86 ALR 297, cited Trade Practices Commission v Abbco Iceworks Pty Ltd (1994) 52 FCR 96, cited Kervan Trading Pty Ltd v Aktas (1987) 8 IPR 583, cited Australian Trade Commission v Correia and Zaknich Holdings Pty Ltd (1992) 38 FCR 153, cited