Aldi Stores Ltd Partnership v Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH [2001] FCA 1874

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Aldi Stores Ltd Partnership v Frito-Lay Trading

Company GmbH [2001] FCA 1874

TRADE MARKS – infringement – registered mark "TWISTIES" in respect of snacks of extruded cheese-flavoured kind – alleged infringer uses "CHEEZY TWISTS" in respect of similar product – primary judge found infringement – whether use of "CHEEZY TWISTS" as a trade mark or as a descriptor – whether inquiry as to deceptive similarity limited by reference to the particular finding of trade mark use made – whether primary judge determined question of deceptive similarity as a matter of his own impression – application of presumption that person attempting to create deceptive similarity by choosing particular mark has succeeded, recognised by Dixon J and McTiernan J in Australian Woollen Mills Ltd v FS Walton & Co Ltd (1937) 58 CLR 641 – whether primary judge entitled to decide issue of deceptive similarity exclusively by applying that presumption – whether trial judge entitled to draw inference of attempt to create deceptive similarity – whether deceptive similarity existed – defence under s 122(1)(f) of Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) – whether alleged infringer would have obtained registration of "CHEEZY TWISTS" – whether the "capable of distinguishing" test laid down in s 41 of the Act would have been satisfied

WORDS AND PHRASES – "capable of distinguishing" – "inherently adapted to distinguish" Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) ss 6 ("sign"), 41, 120

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