The Real Thing Food Supplements CC v Media Tag Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 318

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: The Real Thing Food Supplements CC v Media Tag Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 318 Hearing dates: 23 November 2018 Decision date: 14 December 2018 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1] Gleeson JA at [2] Barrett AJA at [85] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed.

(2) Appellant to pay the respondents' costs. Catchwords: CONSUMER LAW – misleading or deceptive conduct – where respondent distributed to Woolworths on trial basis health food supplements manufactured by appellant in South Africa under brand name "The Real Thing" – respondent later supplied Woolworths with locally sourced products with labels including the initials "TRT" and later the words "The Real Thing" – whether respondent misleadingly or deceptively represented to Woolworths that its goods were manufactured by or under the authority of the appellant – Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, s 18 – whether primary judge misread the pleading of the appellant's reputation in Australia – whether error in finding appellant must prove Woolworths knew of the appellant and the products supplied during the trials were those of the appellant – whether error in finding appellant had not established that Woolworths relied on labelling of the respondent's products

TORTS – passing off – whether respondent passed off its products as those of the appellant – whether primary judge erred in finding that the appellant had not established that it had a reputation in Australia with Woolworths Legislation Cited: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, ss 18, 232, 236 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: Anheuser-Busch Inc v Budejovicky Budvar NP [1984] FSR 413 Betta Foods Australia Pty Ltd v Betta Fruit Bars Pty Ltd (1998) 41 IPR 347 Brock v Terrace Times Pty Ltd (1982) 40 ALR 97 Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 592; [2004] HCA 60 Campomar Sociedad, Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 202 CLR 45; [2000] HCA 12 ConAgra Inc v McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd (1992) 33 FCR 302; (1992) 23 IPR 193 Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma v Marks and Spencer plc [1991] RPC 351 Dairy Vale Metro Co-operative Ltd v Brownes Dairy Ltd (1981) 35 ALR 494; (1981) ATPR 40-215 Equity Access Pty Limited v Westpac Banking Corporation & Westpac Savings Bank Limited [1989] FCA 506; (1990) 40-994 Hoath v Connect Internet Services Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 158; (2006) 69 IPR 62 Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd (2000) 104 FCR 564; [2000] FCA 1572 Keller v LED Technologies Pty Ltd [2010] FCAFC 55; (2010) 268 ALR 613 Metwally v University of Wollongong [1985] HCA 28; (1985) 60 ALR 68 Miller & Associates Insurance Broking Pty Ltd v BMW Australia Finance Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 357; [2010] HCA 31 Peter Bodum A/S v DKSH Australia Pty Ltd [2011] FCAFC 98; (2011) 280 ALR 639 Powell v Birmingham Vinegar Brewery Co Ltd (1897) 14 RPC 720 Premetis v 260 Oxford Street Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 904 Reckitt & Colman Products Ltd v Borden Inc [1990] 1 WLR 491; (1990) 17 IPR 1 Ricegrowers Ltd v Real Foods Pty Ltd [2008] FCA 639; (2008) 77 IPR 325 San Remo Macaroni Co Pty Ltd v San Remo Gourmet Coffee Pty Ltd [2000] FCA 1842 at [26]; (2000) 50 IPR 321 Starbucks (HK) Ltd v British Sky Broadcasting Group plc [2015] UKSC 31; [2015] 1 WLR 2628; [2015] 3 All ER 469 Taco Company of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 Telstra Corp Ltd v Phone Directories Co Pty Ltd (2014) 316 ALR 590 TGI Friday's Australia Pty Ltd v TGI Friday's Inc [1999] FCA 304 Vieright Pty Ltd v Myer Stores Ltd (1995) 31 IPR 361 Texts Cited: Mark Davison, Tracey Berger and Annette Freeman, Shanahan's Australian Law of Trade Marks and Passing Off (4th ed, 2008, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Real Thing Food Supplements CC (Appellant) Media Tag Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Graham Meyerowitz (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr A Franklin SC (Appellant) Mr A Fox (Respondents)