X v Twitter Inc [2017] NSWSC 1300

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: X v Twitter Inc [2017] NSWSC 1300 Hearing dates: 15 September 2017 Date of orders: 28 September 2017 Decision date: 28 September 2017 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Pembroke J Decision: See paragraph [55] Catchwords: EQUITY – final injunctions 'everywhere in the world' – foreign defendants – extra-territorial reach – jurisdiction and discretion EQUITY – confidential information – claim against Twitter as recipient of information –cause of action separate from claim against persons responsible for original 'leak' INJUNCTIONS – form of orders – onerousness – width – suggested difficulty of performance – principles applicable INJUNCTIONS – utility – likelihood of compliance – relevant considerations – social responsibility of Twitter DISCOVERY - identity disclosure orders – relevant considerations – necessary to enable plaintiff to bring claim against persons responsible for original leak STATUTE – Court Suppression & Non Publications Orders Act, 2010 (NSW) – whether suppression of identity of defendants justified – no reasonable likelihood of prejudice to plaintiff Legislation Cited: Court Suppression & Non-Publication Orders Act, 2010 (NSW) Cases Cited: Attorney General v Punch Limited [2003] 8 AC 1046 Australian Broadcasting Commission v Parish (1980) 43 FLR 129 Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Air New Zealand Ltd (No 3) [2012] FCA 1430 Computershare Ltd v Perpetual Registrars Ltd (2000) VR 626 Curro v Beyond Productions Pty Ltd (1993) 30 NSWLR 337 Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd v Ibrahim (2012) 83 NSWLR 52 McLean v Burns Philp Trustee Co Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 623 Macquarie Bank v Berg [1999] NSWSC 526 Maggbury Pty Limited v Hafele Aust Pty Limited (2001) 210 CLR 181 Norwich Pharmacal Co v Customs & Excise Commissioners [1974] AC 133 Rinehart v Welker [2011] NSWCA 403 Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd v City of Sydney [2013] NSWCA 2 X v Y & Z [2017] NSWSC 1214 Y & Z v W [2007] NSWCA 329 Wright, Layman & Umney Ltd v Wright (1949) 66 RPC 149 Texts Cited: I C F Spry, The Principles of Equitable Remedies, 9th ed (2014) Category: Principal judgment Parties: X – plaintiff Twitter Inc – first defendant Twitter International Company – second defendant Representation: Counsel: J R Williams and Ms B Ng – for the plaintiff No appearance for the defendants