austlii:cth/ATMO/2025/171
General information, not legal advice.
ATMO
2025-08-29
Original judgment source is linked above.
Specification of goods: Class 19: ceramic tiles for indoor and outdoor use ('Opponent's Goods')
Declaration of Adolfo Tancredi ('Tancredi'), Chief Executive Officer of the Opponent, with annexures AT-1 to AT-63, of which AT-22, AT-32, AT-60, AT-61, AT-62 and AT-63 are marked as confidential.
Declaration of Khajaque Kortian ('Kortian 1'), Principal of Spruson & Ferguson Pty Ltd (being legal representatives of the Opponent), with annexures KK-1 to KK-3.
Declaration of David Cullen ('Cullen'), Managing Director of Caesarstone Australia Pty Ltd, with annexures DC-1 to DC-45, of which DC-02, DC-02A, DC-17, DC-20, DC-22, DC-23, DC-42, DC-43 and DC-44
Declaration of Khajaque Kortian ('Kortian 2'), with annexures KK-4 to KK-9.
In relation to s 44(2) (closely related goods): Caesarstone conceded in opening that the wholesale, retail, installation, maintenance and repair services in Classes 35 and 37 were "closely related" to the goods covered by the CÆSAR Device mark, because they included such services in respect of tiles. Ceramiche Caesar submitted the same analysis applied to the other flooring and walling goods that were the subject of the Class 35 and Class 37 services (as underlined at [453] and [455] above). Hence, there was no dispute that the requirement of closely related goods was satisfied. [16]
The term "closely related" recognises that goods and services are different things. There will be classes of goods which are similar to each other. There will also be classes of services which are similar to each other. But the word "similar" does not apply as between goods and services. So there must be some other form of relationship between the services covered by one mark and the goods covered by another to enable the goods or services in question to be described as "closely related" ... it is a term of wider import than "similar" and can apply to the relationships between competing services as well as between goods and services.
The range of relationships between goods and services which may support the designation "closely related" will be limited by the requirement in s 44(2) that there be a substantial identity or deceptive similarity between the potentially conflicting trade marks which attach to them. The relationships may, and perhaps in most cases will, be defined by the function of the service with respect to the goods. Services which provide for the installation, operation, maintenance or repair of goods are likely to be treated as closely related to them...[17]
Tiles vs consulting/marketing/franchising in relation to selling worktops
that drafting encompasses services for the distribution of goods either of a confined kind or of infinite variety. Absent words of limitation, the specification must be understood to encompass both, as if both were separately described in the text.[22]
The claim to 'distribution of goods' thus was considered to include a claim akin to 'distribution of electrolytic water generators'. In the present case, the broad claim could be recast as 'wholesale of ceramic tiles' and 'retail of ceramic tiles'. However, given my findings above have already concluded that such services do not appear to be closely related to ceramic tiles, this reading does nothing to advance the Opponent's case.
Tiles vs installing worktops (and tiles vs worktops)
[1] In these reasons, each reference to a section of an act is a reference to a section of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth).
[2] Trade mark application number 1058321 ('First CS Word').
[3] See Ceramiche Caesar SpA v Caesarstone Ltd [2020] FCAFC 124, [16] ('Full Court Judgment').
[4] Trade mark application number 1211152 ('Second CS Word').
[5] Trade mark application number 1211153 ('CS Composite').
[6] Ceramiche Caesar SpA v CaesarStone Sdot-Yam Ltd [2015] ATMO 12 (Hearing Officer Lyons); Ceramiche Caesar SpA v CaesarStone Sdot-Yam Ltd [2015] ATMO 83 (Hearing Officer H Wilson) ('ATMO Decisions').
[7] CaesarStone Sdot-Yam Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar SpA [2017] FCA 326 (Robertson J).
[8] Caesarstone Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar SpA (No 2) [2018] FCA 1096 (Robertson J) ('Primary Judgment').
[9] Caesarstone Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar SpA (No 3) [2019] FCA 7 (Robertson J).
[11] Trade mark application number 1817520.
[12] Trade mark application number 2000467.
[13] Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 156, [133] (Besanko, Jagot and Edelman JJ).
[14] Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths [1999] FCA 1020, [40] (French J).
[16] Primary Judgment (n 8) [530] (emphases added).
[17] Registrar of Trade Marks v Woolworths [1999] FCA 1020, [37]-[38] (French J).
[19] See, eg, Kicking Horse Coffee Co Ltd [2018] ATMO 193 (Hearing Officer K Brown).
[20] See, eg, Qantas Airways Limited v Edwards [2016] FCA 729, [126] (Yates J).
[21] Berlei Hestia Industries Ltd v The Bali Company Inc [1973] HCA 43; (1973) 129 CLR 353, 362 (Mason J).
[22] Enagic Co Ltd v Horizons (Asia) Pty Ltd (No 3) [2021] FCA 1512, [44].
[23] Southern Cross Refrigerating Co v Toowoomba Foundry Pty Ltd (1953) 91 CLR 592, 606 (Dixon CJ, McTiernan, Webb, Fullagar and Taylor JJ).
[24] MID Sydney Pty Ltd v Australian Tourism Co Ltd [1998] FCAFC 1616; (1998) 90 FCR 236, 244 (Burchett, Sackville and Lehane JJ).
[25] Rogers Seller & Myhill Pty Ltd v Reece Pty Ltd [2010] ATMO 5, [40] (Hearing Officer Lyons).
[26] Self Care IP Holdings Pty Ltd v Allergan Australia Pty Ltd [2023] HCA 8, [50] (Kiefel CJ, Gageler, Gordon, Edelmen and Gleeson JJ).
[27] Le Cordon Bleu BV v Cordon Bleu International Ltee [2000] FCA 1587; (2000) 50 IPR 1, 19 [91] (Heerey J).
[28] Food Channel Network Pty Ltd v Television Food Network GP [2010] FCAFC 58, [82]-[83] (Keane CJ, Stone and Jagot JJ).
[29] The Applicant's historical sales of large format slabs into Australia, and how they have over time found their way into end applications is discussed in some detail in the ATMO Decisions (n 6), Primary Judgment (n 8) and Full Court Judgment (n 3).
[30] Food Channel Network Pty Ltd v Television Food Network GP [2010] FCAFC 58, [67] (Keane CJ, Stone and Jagot JJ).
[32] Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd v Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company [2018] FCA 1014, [70]-[88].
Caesarstone Ltd
CAESARSTONE [2025] ATMO 171
(2000) 50 IPR 1
(1973) 129 CLR 353
(1953) 91 CLR 592
(1998) 90 FCR 236