Jusand Nominees Pty Ltd v Rattlejack Innovations Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 540

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Jusand Nominees Pty Ltd v Rattlejack Innovations Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 540 File number(s): VID 311 of 2021

Judgment of: ROFE J

Date of judgment: 16 May 2022

Catchwords: PATENTS – where invention claimed is a safety system for protecting against the hazard of drill rod failure – construction of patent – meaning of "anchor member" – meaning of "a proximal end region of the bore adjacent to a rock-face – whether third respondent's provision of the safety system product was for "experimental purposes" and therefore exempt under s 119C of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) – conduct found not to be for "experimental purposes" – whether respondents infringed patents in suit – held: no infringement by respondents' product PATENTS – validity – lack of support and sufficient description – whether patent meets disclosure requirement of s 40(2)(a) of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) – whether claims of patent meet support requirement of s 40(3) of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) – grounds of invalidity established

Legislation: Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act 2012 (Cth) Patents Act 1903 (Cth) Patents Act 1990 (Cth) Patents Act 1977 (UK)

Cases cited: AstraZeneca AB v Apotex Pty Ltd (2015) 257 CLR 356 Axent Holdings Pty Ltd t/a Axent Global v Compusign Australia Pty Ltd (2020) 154 IPR 431 Azuko Pty Ltd v Old Digger Pty Ltd (2001) 52 IPR 75 Biogen Inc v Medeva Plc [1997] RPC 1 Bristol-Myers Co v Beecham Group Ltd [1974] AC 646 British United Shoe Machinery Co Ltd v A Fussell & Sons Ltd (1908) 25 RPC 631 Catnic Components Ltd v Hill & Smith Ltd [1982] RPC 183 Coretell Pty Ltd v Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd (2017) 124 IPR 210 CSR Building Products Ltd v United States Gypsum Company [2015] APO 72 Cytec Industries Inc v Nalco Company [2021] FCA 970 Eli Lily v Human Genome Sciences [2008] RPC 29 Embrex Inc v Service Engineering Corp 216 F 3d 1343 (Fed Cir, 2000) Evolva SA [2017] APO 57 General Tire & Rubber Company v Firestone Tyre & Rubber Company Ltd [1972] RPC 457 Generics (UK) Ltd v H Lundbeck A/S [2009] RPC 13 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Investments (Ireland) (No 2) Limited v Apotex Pty Ltd (2016) 119 IPR 1 Grove Hill Pty Ltd v Great Western Corporation Pty Ltd (2002) 55 IPR 257 H Lundbeck A/S v Generics (UK) Ltd [2008] RPC 19 Hudson, Scott & Sons Ltd v Barringer, Wallis and Manners Ltd (1906) 23 RPC 79 Insta Image Pty Ltd v KD Kanopy Australasia Pty Ltd (2008) 78 IPR 20 Jupiters Ltd v Neurizon Pty Ltd (2005) 65 IPR 86 KD Kanopy Australasia Pty Ltd v Insta Image Pty Ltd (2007) 71 IPR 615 Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd v Arico Trading International Pty Ltd (2001) 207 CLR 1 Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd v Multigate Medical Products Pty Ltd (2011) 92 IPR 21 Kirin-Amgen Inc v Hoechst Marion Roussel Ltd (2004) 64 IPR 444 Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd (No 2) (2007) 235 CLR 173 Longworth v Emmerton (1951) 83 CLR 539 Madey v Duke University 307 F 3d 1351 (Fed Cir, 2002) Mentor Corp v Hollister Inc (No 2) [1993] RPC 7 Mentor Corp v Hollister Inc [1991] FSR 557 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation v Wyeth LLC (No 3) [2020] FCA 1477 Micro-Chemicals Ltd v Smith Kline and French Inter-American Ltd [1972] SCR 506 Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co v Tyco Electronics Pty Ltd (2002) 56 IPR 248 Monsanto Co v Stauffer Chemical Co [1985] RPC 515 Multigate Medical Devices Pty Ltd v B Braun Melsungen AG (2016) 117 IPR 1 Novartis AG v Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 1039 Novozymes A/S v Danisco A/S (2013) 99 IPR 417 Product Management Group Pty Ltd v Blue Gentian LLC (2015) 116 IPR 54 Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd v AstraZeneca AB (2013) 101 IPR 11 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc v Kymab Ltd [2020] UKSC 27 Roche Products Inc v Bolar Pharmaceutical Co 733 F 2d 858 (Fed Cir, 1984) Sandvik Intellectual Property AB v Kennametal UK Ltd [2012] RPC 23 Schering Biotech Corp's Application [1993] RPC 249 Tramanco Pty Ltd v BPW Transpec Pty Ltd (2014) 105 IPR 18 Welch Perrin & Co Pty Ltd v Worrel (1961) 106 CLR 588