BlueScope Steel Limited v Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd (No 2) [2019] FCA 2117

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BlueScope Steel Limited v Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd (No 2) [2019] FCA 2117 File number: VID 1429 of 2016

Judge: BEACH J

Date of judgment: 17 December 2019

Catchwords: PATENTS – alloy-coated steel strip products – alloy coatings of aluminium, zinc, silicon and magnesium – hot dip coating methods – asserted grounds of invalidity – lack of clarity and definition – lack of fair basis – lack of sufficiency – failure to disclose best method – false suggestion – novelty – inventive step – construction of patent claims – application to amend the specification – application of ss 102 and 105 of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) – asserted infringement – measurement protocol – experimental proof of infringement – infringement not established – some grounds of invalidity upheld

Legislation: Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act 2012 (Cth) Sch 1 Patents Act 1990 (Cth) ss 7, 18, 29, 30, 40, 65, 102, 105, 138

Cases cited: Albany Molecular Research Inc v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (2011) 90 IPR 457 Apotex Pty Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis (2009) 82 IPR 416 Apotex Pty Ltd v Warner-Lambert Company LLC (No 2) (2016) 122 IPR 17 Apotex Pty Ltd (formerly GenRx Pty Ltd) v Sanofi-Aventis (2008) 78 IPR 485 Arrow Pharmaceuticals Ltd v Merck & Co Inc (2004) 213 ALR 182 AstraZeneca AB v Apotex Pty Ltd (2014) 226 FCR 324 Bayer Pharma Aktiengesellschaft v Generic Health Pty Ltd (2012) 99 IPR 59 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company v F H Faulding & Co Limited (2000) 97 FCR 524 CSL Ltd v Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd (No 2) (2010) 190 FCR 522 David Kahn Inc v Conway Stewart & Co Ltd (1974) 91 RPC 279 DSI Australia (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Garford Pty Ltd (2013) 100 IPR 19 Electric & Musical Industries Ld v Lissen Ld (1939) 56 RPC 23 Eli Lilly and Co v Pfizer Overseas Pharmaceuticals (2005) 218 ALR 408 Foster's Australia Ltd v Cash's (Australia) Pty Ltd (2013) 219 FCR 529 General Tire & Rubber Co v Firestone Tyre and Rubber Co Ltd (1971) 1A IPR 121 Gilead Sciences Pty Ltd v Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC (2016) 117 IPR 252 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Investments (Ireland) (No 2) Ltd v Apotex Pty Ltd (2016) 119 IPR 1; [2016] FCA 608 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Investments (Ireland) (No 2) Ltd v Generic Partners Pty Ltd (2018) 131 IPR 384 ICI Chemicals & Polymers Ltd v Lubrizol Corp Inc (1999) 45 IPR 577 Idenix Pharmaceuticals LLC v Gilead Sciences Pty Ltd (2017) 134 IPR 1 Kauzal v Lee (1936) 58 CLR 670 Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd v Arico Trading International Pty Ltd (2001) 207 CLR 1 Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Ltd (2010) 273 ALR 630 Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Ltd (2016) 247 FCR 61; [2016] FCAFC 27 Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd (2004) 217 CLR 274 Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd (No 2) (2007) 235 CLR 173 Martin v Scribal Pty Ltd (1954) 92 CLR 17 Meat & Livestock Australia Limited v Cargill, Inc (No 2) (2019) 139 IPR 47; [2019] FCA 33 Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd v Cargill, Inc (2018) 354 ALR 95; [2018] FCA 51 Meyers Taylor Pty Ltd v Vicarr Industries Ltd (1977) 137 CLR 228 Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co v Beiersdorf (Aust) Ltd (1980) 144 CLR 253 Neurim Pharmaceuticals (1991) Ltd v Generic Partners Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 1082 Norton and Gregory Ld v Jacobs (1937) 54 RPC 271 Novartis AG v Bausch & Lomb (Australia) Pty Ltd (2004) 62 IPR 71 Olin Corporation v Super Cartridge Co Pty Ltd (1977) 180 CLR 236 Pfizer Overseas Pharmaceuticals v Eli Lilly & Co (2005) 225 ALR 416 Prestige Group (Australia) Pty Ltd v Dart Industries Inc (1990) 26 FCR 197 Ranbaxy Australia Pty Ltd v Warner-Lambert Co LLC (2008) 77 IPR 449 Rescare Ltd v Anaesthetic Supplies Pty Ltd (1992) 111 ALR 205 Sachtler GmbH and Co KG (formerly Sachtler AG) v RE Miller Pty Ltd (2005) 221 ALR 373 Sartas No 1 Pty Ltd v Koukourou & Partners Pty Ltd (1994) 30 IPR 479 Sequenom Inc v Ariosa Diagnostics Inc (2019) 143 IPR 24; [2019] FCA 1011 Sigma Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd v Wyeth (2011) 119 IPR 194 Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd v Evans Medical Limited [1989] 1 FSR 561 SNF (Australia) Pty Ltd v Ciba Speciality Chemicals Water Treatments Ltd (2011) 92 IPR 46 Warner-Lambert Co LLC v Apotex Pty Ltd (No 2) (2018) 355 ALR 44 Welch Perrin & Co Pty Ltd v Worrel (1961) 106 CLR 588