EIFY Systems Pty Ltd v 3D Safety Services Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1310

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: EIFY Systems Pty Ltd v 3D Safety Services Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1310 Hearing dates: 03/07/2017, 04/07/2017, 05/07/2017, 06/07/2017, 07/07/2017, 10/07/2017, 11/07/2017, 12/07/2017, 13/07/2017, 14/07/2017, 17/07/2017, 18/07/2017, 19/07/2017, 20/07/2017, 21/07/2017, 31/07/2017, 01/08/2017, 02/08/2017; 03/08/2017; 04/08/2017; further written submissions 04/08/2017 and 18/08/2017 Date of orders: 28 September 2017 Decision date: 28 September 2017 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: McDougall J Decision: Judgment in favour of all defendants. Costs to be dealt with on the papers. Catchwords: EVIDENCE – affidavit evidence – contents of documents – where admission into evidence would be unfair to the defendants – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 135 – EVIDENCE – expert evidence – whether opinion wholly or substantially based on specialised knowledge – Evidence Act 1995 s 79(1) –EVIDENCE — course of evidence — evidence in reply – re-opening case – where admission into evidence would be unfair to the defendants – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 135 – CIVIL PROCEDURE — pleadings — amendment — late application for amendment – where leave to amend would be unfair to the defendants and cause undue expense and delay – CONTRACT – the nature and extent of the contractual duties owed to the plaintiff – whether the defendants breached one or more of these duties – EQUITY – the nature and extent of the equitable and fiduciary duties owed to the plaintiff – the nature and extent of the duty of confidence – whether the defendants breached one or more of these duties – CONSUMER LAW – whether the defendants engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – the nature and extent of the plaintiff's copyright protection in the various elements of an online system – whether the defendants breached the plaintiff's copyright protection Legislation Cited: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Copyright Act of 1976, 17 USC §§ 101 – 810 (2016) Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (NSW) Cases Cited: Amway Corporation v Eurway International Ltd [1974] RPC 82 A-One Accessory Imports Pty Ltd v Off Road Imports Pty Ltd & King (1996) 65 FCR 478 Artedomus (Aust) Pty Ltd v Del Casale 68 ISR 577 Autodesk Inc v Dyason (No.2) At [86] (1993) 176 CLR 300 Bates and Partners Pty Ltd v The Law Book Company (1994) 29 IPR 11 Brand v Monks [2009] NSWSC 1454 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Coco v AN Clarke (Engineers) Ltd [1969] RPC 41 Corrs Pavey Whiting and Byrne v Collector of Customs for Victoria (1987) 14 FCR 434 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar (2011) 243 CLR 588 Designers Guild Ltd v Russell Williams (Textiles) [2000] 1 WLR 2416 Exchange Telegraph v Central News [1897] 2 Ch 48 Gibson Motorsport Merchandise Pty Ltd v Forbes (2006) 149 FCR 569 Grimaldi v Chameleon Mining NL (No 2) (2012) 200 FCR 296 Honeysett v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 122 Insight SRC IP Holdings Pty Ltd v Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd (No 2) (2012) 211 FCR 563 at [105] John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Media.net advertising FZ – LLC v Netseer Inc 156 F Supp 3d 1052 (2016) Navitaire Inc v Easyjet Airline Co [2004] EWHC 1725 (Ch) Nova Productions Ltd v Mazooma Games Ltd [2007] EWCA Civ 219 O'Brien v Komesaroff (1982) 150 CLR 310 Rolleston v Insurance Australia Ltd [2017] NSWCA 168 SAS Institute Inc v World Programming Ltd [2010] EWHC 1829 (Ch) StatusCard Australia Pty Ltd v Rotondo [2009] 1 Qd R 559 Tetris Holding LLC v Xio Interactive Inc 863 F Supp 2d 394 (2012) United Dominions Corporation Ltd v Brian (1985) 157 CLR 1 Watson v Foxman (2000) 49 NSWLR 315 Whelan Associates Inc v Jaslow Dental Laboratory, Inc 797 F 2d 1222 (1986) Category: Principal judgment Parties: EIFY Systems Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) 3D Safety Services Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Anthony Ian Conacher (Second Defendant) Simon Paul Morrow (Third Defendant) 3D Safety Systems Pty Ltd (Fourth Defendant) Wishbone Consulting Pty Ltd (Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: F Corsaro SC / S Baron-Levi (Plaintiff) K Andronos SC / S Keizer (Defendants)