Rodney Jane Racing Pty Ltd v Monster Energy Company [2019] FCA 923

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rodney Jane Racing Pty Ltd v Monster Energy Company [2019] FCA 923 Appeal from: Monster Energy Co v Rodney Jane Racing Pty Ltd [2018] ATMO 57

File number(s): VID 553 of 2018

Judge(s): O'BRYAN J

Date of judgment: 21 June 2019

Catchwords: TRADE MARKS – registration – opposition – appeal from decision of Registrar of Trade Marks refusing registration – whether appellant had valid claim to ownership of marks at priority date – whether appellant intended to use or authorise use of marks at priority date – whether marks likely to deceive or cause confusion – appeal allowed EVIDENCE – admissibility of documents downloaded from websites, the Wayback Machine, Facebook and Instagram and data generated by Google Analytics – whether documents constitute business records under section 69 of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) – whether Court should exercise its discretion under section 135 of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) to exclude the evidence

Legislation: Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) ss 7(3), 8, 42(b), 58, 59, 60

Cases cited: ACCC v Air New Zealand Limited (No 1) (2012) 207 FCR 448 ACCC v Air New Zealand Limited (No 5) (2012) 301 ALR 352 ACCC v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (2014) 317 ALR 73 Asden Developments Pty Ltd (in liq) v Dinoris (No 2) (2015) 235 FCR 382 ASIC v Hellicar (2012) 247 CLR 345 Aston v Harlee Manufacturing Co (1960) 103 CLR 391 Australian Meat Group Pty Ltd v JBS Australia Pty Ltd (2018) 363 ALR 113 Australian Postal Corporation v Digital Post Australia Pty Ltd (2013) 308 ALR 1 Berlei Hestia Industries Ltd v Bali Co Inc (1973) 129 CLR 353 Brooks v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 986 CA Henschke & Co v Rosemount Estates Pty Ltd (2000) 52 IPR 42 Caesarstone Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar SpA (No 2) (2018) 133 IPR 417 Campomar Sociedad, Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 202 CLR 45 Charan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2018] VSC 3 Chong v CC Containers Pty Ltd (2015) 49 VR 402 Coca-Cola Co v All-Fect Distributors Ltd (1999) 96 FCR 107 Colorado Group Limited v Strandbags Group Pty Limited (2007) 164 FCR 506 Crazy Ron's Communications Pty Ltd v Mobileworld Communications Pty Ltd (2004) 209 ALR 1 de Cordova v Vick Chemical Co (1951) 68 RPC 103 Delfi Chocolate Manufacturing SA v Mars Australia Pty Ltd (2015) 115 IPR 82 Dowling v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2008] FCA 59 Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd v Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (2018) 134 IPR 220 E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd (2008) 77 IPR 69 E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 144 Flexopack S.A. Plastics Industry v Flexopack Australia Pty Ltd (2016) 118 IPR 239 Food Channel Network Pty Ltd v Television Food Network GP (2010) 185 FCR 9 Gain Capital UK Ltd v Citigroup Inc (No 4) (2017) 123 IPR 234 Google Inc v ACCC (2013) 249 CLR 435 Hansen Beverage Company v Bickfords (Australia) Pty Ltd (2008) 75 IPR 505 Hansen Beverage Company v Bickfords (Australia) Pty Ltd (2008) 171 FCR 579 Hills Industries Ltd v Bitek Pty Ltd (2011) 214 FCR 396 Hugo Boss AG v Jackson International Trading Co Kurt D Bruhl GmbH & Co KG (1999) 47 IPR 423 Jafferjee v Scarlett (1937) 57 CLR 115 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Lodestar Anstalt v Campari America LLC (2016) 244 FCR 557 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 Mars Australia Pty Ltd v Sweet Rewards Pty Ltd (2009) 81 IPR 354 McCormick & Co Inc v McCormick (2000) 51 IPR 102 McMahon v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd (No 4) [2012] NSWSC 216 Metro Business Centre Pty Ltd v Centrefold Entertainment Pty Ltd (2017) 127 IPR 1 Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd (No 2) (1984) 156 CLR 414 National Telecoms Group Ltd v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd (No 1) [2011] NSWSC 455 Optical 88 Ltd v Optical 88 Pty Ltd (No 2) (2010) 275 ALR 526 Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 191 Pedavoli v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (2014) 324 ALR 166 Pfizer Products Inc v Karam (2006) 219 FCR 585 Pham Global Pty Ltd v Insight Clinical Imaging Pty Ltd (2017) 251 FCR 379 Pioneer Kabushiki Kaisha v Registrar of Trade Marks (1977) 137 CLR 670 Polo Textile Industries Pty Ltd v Domestic Textile Corporation Pty Ltd (1993) 42 FCR 227 Qantas Airways Ltd v Edwards (2016) 338 ALR 134 Re Rysta Ltd's Application (1943) 60 RPC 87 Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths Limited (1999) 93 FCR 365 Roach v Page (No 15) [2003] NSWSC 939 Roach v Page (No 27) [2003] NSWSC 1046 RPS v R (2000) 199 CLR 620 Saville Perfumery Ltd v June Perfect Ltd (1941) 58 RPC 147 Seven Network Ltd v News Limited [2007] FCA 1062 Shape Shopfitters Pty Ltd v Shape Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] FCA 474 Shell Company of Australia Ltd v Esso Standard Oil (Aust) Ltd (1963) 109 CLR 407 Shell Company of Australia Ltd v Rohm and Haas Company (1949) 78 CLR 601 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Optum (2018) 140 IPR 1 Southern Cross Airports v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2011] NSWSC 349 Southern Cross Refrigerating Co v Toowoomba Foundry Pty Ltd (1954) 91 CLR 592 Sports Warehouse Inc v Fry Consulting Pty Ltd (2010) 186 FCR 519 Stone & Wood Group Pty Ltd v Intellectual Property Development Corporation Pty Ltd (2018) 357 ALR 15 Telstra Corp Ltd v Phone Directories Co Pty Ltd (2014) 316 ALR 590 Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Co Australia Ltd (2015) 237 FCR 388 Tivo Inc v Vivo International Corporation Pty Ltd [2012] FCA 252 Trident Seafoods Corp v Trident Foods Pty Ltd (2018) 137 IPR 65 Vendor Advocacy Australia Pty Ltd v Seitanidis (2013) 103 IPR 1 Vitali v Stachnik [2001] NSWSC 303 Vivo International Corporation Pty Ltd v Tivo Inc (2012) 294 ALR 661 Voxson Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Limited (No. 10) (2018) 134 IPR 99 Yarra Valley Dairy Pty Ltd v Lemnos Foods Pty Ltd (2010) 191 FCR 297