Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd v Industrial Rollformers P/L & Anor [2000] NSWSC 712

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd v Industrial Rollformers P/L & Anor [2000] NSWSC 712 revised - 31/07/2000 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 4997 of 1999 HEARING DATE(S) : 29, 30, 31 May, 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15 and 16 June 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 25 July 2000

Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Limited (Plaintiff/Cross Defendant) PARTIES : Industrial Rollformers Pty Limited (First Defendant/Cross Claimant) Strata Control Pty Limited (Second Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Bergin J

COUNSEL : FM Douglas QC/DT Kell (Plaintiff/ Cross Defendant) DE Grieve QC/MP Sindone (Defendants/Cross Claimant) SOLICITORS : Baker & McKenzie (Plaintiff/Cross Defendant) John Spence & Associates (Defendants/Cross Claimant) CATCHWORDS : Whether certain of the plaintiff's information provided to the defendants is confidential information - Whether the defendants misused such information in breach of contract and breach of equitable duty of confidence - Whether restraint clauses in the contract are void against public policy - Application pursuant to s 4 of the Restraints of Trade Act 1976. LEGISLATION CITED : Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) JD Heydon, "The Restraint of Trade Doctrine" (1999) 2nd Ed., Butterworths, Sydney Amoco Australia Pty Ltd v Rocca Bros. Motor Engineering Co Pty Ltd (1973) 133 CLR 288 Ansell Rubber Co Pty Ltd v Allied Rubber Industries Pty Ltd (1967) VR 37 BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 British American Oil Co Ltd v MacLaren (1927) 33 OWN 239 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410 Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 Esso Petroleum Co Ltd v Harper's Garage (Stourport) Ltd [1968] AC 269 Faccenda Chicken Ltd v Fowler [1987] Ch 117 ICT Pty Ltd v Sea Containers Ltd (1995) 39 NSWLR 640 Ingersoll-Rand Company (USA) v Ciavatta 509 A.2d 821 (NJ Super. Ch. (1986)) Ingersoll-Rand Co v Ciavatta (1987) 3 USPQ2d 1120 Ingersoll-Rand Co v Ciavatta (1988) 8 USPQ2d 1537 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110 CASES CITED : Kone Elevators Pty Ltd v McNay (1997) ATPR 41-564 Littlewoods Organisation Ltd v Harris [1977] 1 WLR 1472 Herbert Morris Ltd v Saxelby [1916] 1 AC 688 Mouchel v William Cubitt & Co [1907] 24 RPC 194 Orton & Ors v Melham (1981) 1 NSWLR 583 Peters American Delicacy Co Ltd v Champion (1928) 41 CLR 316 GW Plowman & Son v Ashe [1964] 1 WLR 568 Queensland Co-operative Milling Associaion v Pamag Pty Ltd (1973) 133 CLR 260 Saltman Engineering Co Ltd v Campbell Engineering Co [1948] 65 RPC 203 (CA) Stokely-Van Camp Inc v New Generation Beverages Pty Ltd (1988) 44 NSWLR 607 Tavener v Sheridan (2000) FCA 219 Terrapin Ltd v Builders Supply Co (Hayes) Ltd [1967] RPC 375 Thorsten Nordenfelt (Pauper) v The Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Co Ltd [1894] AC 535 Wheatley v Bell (1982) 2 NSWLR 544 DECISION : Plaintiff's information confidential; defendants use of plaintiff's confidential information in breach of contract and breach of equitable duty of confidence. Section 4 of the Restraints of Trade Act 1976 applied.