Campaigntrack Pty Ltd v Real Estate Tool Box Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 809

Federal Court of Australia

Campaigntrack Pty Ltd v Real Estate Tool Box Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 809 File number: NSD 772 of 2017

Judgment of: THAWLEY J

Date of judgment: 19 July 2021

Catchwords: COPYRIGHT – alleged infringement of copyright in a cloud-based real estate marketing software – whether copyright subsisted in the source code, database, database tables, menu and PDF files of the software – whether the applicant owned the copyright – whether respondents infringed copyright – held the third respondent infringed copyright in some of the alleged works EQUITY – alleged misuse of confidential information –held third respondent misused confidential information to the extent the claims in copyright were made out against him CONTRACTS – alleged breach of contract – held fourth and fifth respondents breached the terms of the contract requiring passwords to be provided on payment of purchase price and that the software would not be modified after it was transferred to the applicant – alleged breach of undertakings – breach of undertakings not made out

Legislation: Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) ss 10, 13, 14, 22, 31, 32, 36, 101, 115 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) r 23.01

Cases cited: Acohs Pty Ltd v Ucorp Pty Ltd (2012) 201 FCR 173 Ancher, Mortlock, Murray & Woolley Pty Ltd v Hooker Homes Pty Ltd (1971) 20 FLR 481 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd (2001) 208 CLR 199 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hellicar (2012) 247 CLR 345 Autodesk Inc v Dyason (No 2) (1993) 176 CLR 300 Blatch v Archer (1774) 1 Cowp 63 CA Inc v ISI Pty Ltd (2012) 201 FCR 23 Clarendon Homes (Aust) Pty Ltd v Henley Arch Pty Ltd (1999) 46 IPR 309 Coco v A N Clark (Engineers) Ltd [1969] RPC 41 Commercial Union Assurance Co of Australia Ltd v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 389 Computer Edge Pty Ltd v Apple Computer Inc (1968) 161 CLR 171 Coogi Australia Pty Ltd v Hysport International Pty Ltd (1998) 86 FCR 154 Dais Studio Pty Ltd v Bullet Creative Pty Ltd (2007) 165 FCR 92 Data Access Corporation v Powerflex Services Pty Ltd (1999) 202 CLR 1 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640 Elwood Clothing Pty Ltd v Cotton On Clothing Pty Ltd (2008) 172 FCR 580 Francis Day & Hunter Ltd v Bron [1963] Ch 587 Gold Peg International Pty Ltd v Kovan Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd (2005) 225 ALR 57 IceTV Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (2009) 239 CLR 458 IPC Global Pty Ltd v Pavetest Pty Ltd (2017) 122 IPR 445 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 JR Consulting & Drafting Pty Ltd v Cummings (2016) 329 ALR 625 Ladbroke (Football) Ltd v William Hill (Football) Ltd [1964] 1 All ER 465 Metricon Homes Pty Ltd v Barrett Property Group Pty Ltd (2008) 248 ALR 364 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Limited v Wright Prospecting Pty Limited (2015) 256 CLR 104 Optus Networks Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd (2010) 265 ALR 281 Plaintiff M47/2018 v Minister for Home Affairs (2019) 265 CLR 285 Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (No 2) (2012) 248 CLR 42 Rosebanner Pty Ltd v EnergyAustralia (2009) 223 FLR 406 Secured Income Real Estate (Australia) Ltd v St Martins Investments Pty Ltd (1979) 144 CLR 596 Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd v City of Sydney (2013) 85 NSWLR 196 SW Hart & Co Pty Ltd v Edwards Hot Water Systems (1985) 159 CLR 466 Telstra Corporation Ltd v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd (2010) 194 FCR 142 University of New South Wales v Moorhouse (1975) 133 CLR 1 University of Sydney v ObjectiVision Pty Ltd (2019) 148 IPR 1