Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd v Coretell Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 1169

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd v Coretell Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 1169

Citation: Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd v Coretell Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 1169

Parties: AUSTRALIAN MUD COMPANY PTY LTD (ACN 009 283 416), IMDEX LIMITED (ACN 008 947 813) and REFLEX INSTRUMENTS ASIA PACIFIC PTY LTD (ACN 123 204 191) v CORETELL PTY LTD (ACN 119 188 493) and MINCREST HOLDINGS PTY LTD (TRADING AS CAMTEQ INSTRUMENT SERVICES) (ACN 068 672 471)

File number: WAD 132 of 2007

Judge: BARKER J

Date of judgment: 29 October 2010

Catchwords: PATENTS – innovation patents – infringement – whether respondents took each and every essential integer of the first applicant's patent – meaning of the terms "device", "orientation data", "time interval" and "predetermined time interval" in the patent claims – whether alleged infringing equipment was a material variation on the invention defined in the patent – relevance of Improver questions to claim construction – held: no infringement

PATENTS – innovation patents – invalidity – whether patent was invalid for lack of fair basis as required by s 40(3) of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) – real and reasonably clear disclosure – consistory clauses – held: no invalidity

Legislation: Patents Act 1990 (Cth) s 40(3), s 120

Cases cited: Aktiebolaget Hassle v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2002] HCA 59; (2002) 212 CLR 411 AMI Australia Holdings Pty Ltd v Bade Medical Institute (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2009] FCA 1437; (2009) 262 ALR 458 Apotex Pty Ltd v Les Laboratoires Servier (No 2) [2009] FCA 1019; (2009) 83 IPR 42 Aspirating IP Ltd v Vision Systems Ltd [2010] FCA 1061 Austal Ships Pty Ltd v Stena Rederi Aktiebolag [2005] FCA 805; (2005) 66 IPR 420 BEST Australia Ltd v Aquagas Marketing Pty Ltd (1988) 12 IPR 143 Bitech Engineering v Garth Living Pty Ltd [2010] FCAFC 75; (2010) 86 IPR 468; Catnic Components Ltd v Hill & Smith Ltd [1982] RPC 183 CCOM Pty Ltd v Jiejing Pty Ltd (1994) 51 FCR 260 Dura-Post (Australia) Pty Ltd v Delnorth Pty Ltd [2009] FCAFC 81; (2009) 177 FCR 239 EMI v Lissen Ltd (1938) 56 RPC 23 Foxtel Management Pty Ltd v Mod Shop Pty Ltd [2007] FCA 463; (2007) 165 FCR 149 Fresenius Medical Care Australia Pty Ltd v Gambro Pty Ltd [2005] FCAFC 220; (2005) 224 ALR 168 H Lundbeck A/S v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2009] FCAFC 70; (2009) 177 FCR 151 Improver Corporation v Remington Consumer Products Ltd [1990] FSR 181 Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd v Arico Trading International Pty Ltd [2001] HCA 8; (2001) 207 CLR 1 Kinabalu Investments Pty Ltd v Barron & Rawson Pty Ltd [2008] FCAFC 178 Kirin-Amgen Inc v Hoeschst Marion Roussel Ltd [2005] 1 All ER 667; (2004) 64 IPR 444 Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 58; (2004) 217 CLR 274 Olin Corporation v Super Cartridge Co Pty Ltd [1977] HCA 23; (1977) 180 CLR 236 Pfizer Overseas Pharmaceuticals v Eli Lilly & Co [2005] FCAFC 224; (2005) 225 ALR 416 Populin v HB Nominees Pty Ltd (1982) 59 FLR 37 Re Raychem Corp's Patents [1998] RPC 31 Root Quality Pty Ltd v Root Control Technologies Pty Ltd [2000] FCA 980; (2000) 177 ALR 231 Sachtler GmbH & Co KG v RE Miller Pty Ltd [2005] FCA 788; (2005) 221 ALR 373 Seafood Innovations Pty Ltd v Richard Bass Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 723 The "Koursk" [1924] P 140 Thompson v Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd [1996] HCA 38; (1996) 186 CLR 574 Uniline Australia Ltd v Sbriggs Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 222; (2009) 81 IPR 42 Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd v Cooper [2005] FCA 972; (2005) 150 FCR 1 Welcome Real-Time SA v Catuity Inc [2001] FCA 445; (2001) 113 FCR 110