Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd v City of Sydney [2013] NSWCA 2

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd v City of Sydney [2013] NSWCA 2 Hearing dates: 26, 27, 28 November 2012 Decision date: 01 February 2013 Before: Meagher JA (at [1]); Barrett JA (at [2]); Ward JA (at [239]) Decision: Short minutes to be filed. [Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and 36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.] Catchwords: EQUITY - fiduciary duty - fact-based fiduciary duty - where plaintiff granted to defendant a licence to exploit technology - finding of breach of contract through exploitation contrary to licence agreement - concurrent finding of existence and breach of fiduciary duty of defendant licensee by reason of same acts - no recognised fiduciary relationship - whether the circumstances gave rise to the fiduciary duty alleged - EQUITY - equitable obligation of confidence - licence agreement imposed confidentiality restraints with respect to information - finding of existence and breach of concurrent equitable duty of confidence - question whether equitable duty may co-exist with contractual duty not in contest - whether information said to be protected by equitable duty sufficiently identified - whether confidential quality sufficiently shown - course of trial such as to prevent adequate inquiry into those questions - need for new trial - TRADE AND COMMERCE - misleading or deceptive conduct - representation as to future matter - whether representation contrary to statute - whether order varying contract affected by such representation properly made Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995, s 55 Local Government Act 1993 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), ss 51A, 52, 82, 87 Cases Cited: AG Australia Holdings Ltd v Burton [2002] NSWSC 170; (2002) 58 NSWLR 464 Athval Management Pty Ltd v Doherty [2000] NSWCA 277; (2000) 20 NSWCCR 687 Attorney-General v Guardian Newspapers Ltd [1990] 1 AC 109 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd [2001] HCA 63; (2001) 208 CLR 199 Breen v Williams [1996] HCA 57; (1996) 186 CLR 71 City of Sydney v Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 831 City of Sydney v Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 1214 City of Sydney v Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 10 Coco v A N Clark (Engineers) Ltd [1969] RPC 41 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v FKP Ltd [2008] FCA 1915 Complete Technology Integrations Pty Ltd v Green Energy Management Solutions Pty Ltd [2011] FCA 1319 Del Casale v Artedomus (Aust) Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 172; (2007) 73 IPR 326 Elecon Australia Pty Ltd v Brevini Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 1327; (2009) 263 ALR 1 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; (2007) 230 CLR 89 Galambos v Perez [2009] SCC 48; [2009] 3 SCR 247 Hodgson v Amcor Ltd [2012] VSC 94; (2012) 264 FLR 1 Hospital Products Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation [1984] HCA 64; (1984) 156 CLR 41 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd [2010] HCA 19; (2010) 241 CLR 1 Keith Henry & Co Pty Ltd v Stuart Walker & Co Pty Ltd [1958] HCA 33; (1958) 100 CLR 342 Mid-City Skin Cancer & Laser Centre Ltd v Zahedi-Anarak [2006] NSWSC 844; (2006) 67 NSWLR 569 Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd (No 2) [1984] HCA 73; [1984] 156 CLR 414 O'Brien v Komesaroff [1982] HCA 33; (1982) 150 CLR 310 Optus Networks Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd [2010] FCAFC 21; (2010) 265 ALR 281 Re E Dibbens & Sons Ltd [1990] BCLC 577 Re Goldcorp Exchange Ltd [1995] 1 AC 74 Scott v Davis [2000] HCA 52; (2000) 204 CLR 333 Smith Kline & French Laboratories (Australia) Ltd v Department of Community Services and Health (1990) 22 FCR 73 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia [1992] HCA 55; (1992) 175 CLR 514 Watson v Dolmark Industries Ltd [1992] 3 NZLR 311 Texts Cited: "Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary" (LexisNexis Australia) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd - First Appellant Moses Edward Obeid - Second Appellant City of Sydney - Respondent Representation: B W Walker SC/G K J Rich - Appellants T M Jucovic QC/S W Climpson/C N Bova - Respondent Colin Biggers & Paisley - Appellants Holding Redlich - Respondent File Number(s): 2012/52247 Decision under appeal Citation: City of Sydney v Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 1214 Date of Decision: 2011-10-11 00:00:00 Before: Einstein J File Number(s): 2009/298673 and 2010/85353