Bed Bath 'N' Table Pty Ltd v Global Retail Brands Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2024] FCA 226

Federal Court of Australia

Bed Bath 'N' Table Pty Ltd v Global Retail Brands Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2024] FCA 226 File number: VID 314 of 2021

Judgment of: ROFE J

Date of judgment: 13 March 2024

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE — scope of declarations and injunctions — whether injunctions restraining use of marks that are "substantially identical" or "similar" to the infringing mark are available for misleading and deceptive conduct and passing off. COSTS — whether costs should be awarded on an issue-by-issue basis — causes of action not discrete and separable — whether respondent should pay the costs of affidavits filed but not read by the applicant who was successful on relief — relevance of overarching obligations in s 37M of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) — general award of costs to the applicant appropriate. COSTS — whether applicant entitled to indemnity costs pursuant to r 25.14(3) of the Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) following rejected offer of compromise — whether judgment more favourable than the terms of the offer —whether refusal of offer was unreasonable — whether an order inconsistent with r 25.14(3) should be made under r 1.35 — indemnity costs ordered.

Legislation: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth)

Cases cited: Bed Bath 'N' Table Pty Ltd v Global Retail Brands Australia Pty Ltd [2023] FCA 1587 Callan v Chawk (Costs) [2023] FCA 1198 Calidad Pty Ltd v Seiko Epson Corp (No 2) (2019) 147 IPR 386 Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) (2015) 237 FCR 127 JMC Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Costs) [2023] FCAFC 95 Jusand Nominees Pty Ltd v Rattlejack Innovations Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] FCA 867 Knott Investments Pty Ltd v Winnebago Industries Inc (No 2) (2013) 103 IPR 395 Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Ltd (2016) 247 FCR 61 Lodestar Anstalt v Campari America LLC (No 2) [2016] FCAFC 118 MMD Design and Consultancy Limited v Camco Engineering Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] FCA 1416 Morton as Liquidator of MJ Woodman Electrical Contractors Pty Ltd v Metal Manufactures Pty Ltd (No 3) [2023] FCA 1618 Russell v Australian Broadcasting Corp (No 4) [2023] FCA 1279 Sandvik Intellectual Property AB v Quarry Mining & Construction Equipment Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] FCAFC 158 Seiko Epson Corporation v Calidad Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 104 Self Care IP Holdings Pty Ltd v Allergan Australia Pty Ltd (2023) 408 ALR 195 State Government Insurance Corp v Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (1991) 28 FCR 511 Stead v Fairfax Media Publications Ltd (2021) 386 ALR 237 Sydney Equine Coaches Pty Ltd v Gorst [2017] FCAFC 34 Taco Co of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 Taylor v August and Pemberton Pty Ltd (Costs) [2023] FCA 1575 Telstra Corp Ltd v Phone Directories Co Pty Ltd (2014) 107 IPR 333 Vivo International Corp Pty Ltd v Tivo Inc (2012) 99 IPR 1