CMS's pleaded case
6 CMS's primary case, and its allegations against Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger, can be summarised briefly. In these reasons, I express some matters of detail at a high level of generality because some of the information before the court is the subject of claims of commercial confidentiality.
7 CMS alleges that in around 2011, one of its two directors, Mr Holt, met with the sole director of Cellcrete (Mr Reiniger). Mr Holt showed Mr Reiniger an underground pump he had produced and they discussed the production of an underground pump that was capable of economically producing a monolithic seal for use in mining operations.
8 Subsequently, Mr Holt and Mr Reiniger developed a CA09 pump. The CA09 pump was developed using confidential information that Mr Holt had provided to Mr Reiniger and Mr Holt had claimed that it also used his intellectual property. The CA09 pump was purchased by Mr Holt's company from Mr Reiniger for $180,000.
9 There were problems with the CA09 pump. So Mr Holt and Mr Reiniger, together with another man, Mr Pallas (who was the mine operations manager at the Chain Valley Colliery Mine), worked together in a joint venture to establish a new pump. The joint venture subsequently became CMS. Each of the three men, or companies associated with them, held shares in CMS. Mr Dunshea also became a shareholder of CMS and the "operations manager for CMS". Each of Mr Holt, Mr Reiniger and Mr Pallas was a director of CMS. Mr Reiniger was a director from 2 April 2013 until at least 29 April 2015 (when he purported to resign).
10 Mr Reiniger agreed to supply some materials exclusively to CMS at a commercial rate, and also to supply his chemical expertise, components and spare parts for the pump at cost price.
11 From 4 December 2012 until July 2014, CMS developed a pump which is described as the CA10MK3 pump. Mr Reiniger and Mr Dunshea provided services to CMS to assist in the development of the CA10MK3 pump.
12 In July 2014, CMS retained a patent attorney to file a patent application for the CA10MK3 pump. That application was filed on 17 November 2014. Its contents have not been disclosed to the public.
13 CMS pleads that the following information is confidential to CMS (defined in the statement of claim as the Confidential Information), either individually or in combination, known by Mr Reiniger to be confidential, and obtained by Mr Reiniger in his capacity as a director or employee of CMS:
(a) the use of a high speed mixer in combination with other elements to produce a pump that can produce a monolithic seal;
(b) the specifications for the CA10MK3 pump;
(c) the hydraulic schematics for the CA10MK3 pump;
(d) the safety file for the CA10MK3 pump;
(e) the manufactures that had been engaged and were "tooled" to manufacture the components of the CA10MK3 pump;
(f) the prices charged by CMS and the profit margins;
(g) the manufacturers who could and did supply spare parts for the CA10MK3 pump;
(h) the identity of the hydraulic experts and other service providers that could and did maintain and repair CA10MK3 pumps sold by CMS;
(i) the names, contact details and email addresses of clients of CMS; and
(j) the matters contained in the Patent Application.
14 CMS also claims copyright in:
(1) a hydraulic schematic which it commissioned and obtained in March 2013 (defined in the statement of claim as the Hydraulic Schematic); and
(2) a document written by employees including Mr Holt, Mr Pallas, and Mr Reiniger setting out safety matters for the CA10MK3 pump (defined in the statement of claim as the Safety File).
15 On 3 July 2015, CMS, brought proceedings against Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger. In the proceedings, CMS alleges (in very broad terms):
(1) that it had been overcharged by Cellcrete (including in breach of Mr Reiniger's fiduciary duty to CMS) by (i) charges which were significantly more than cost price where Mr Reiniger had promised only to charge cost price,(ii) double charging for a "wishing well", and (iii) overcharges for GST;
(2) that in mid-2013, Mr Reiniger caused Cellcrete to order three CA10MK3 pumps and Mr Reiniger has threatened to sell the three pumps to third parties if CMS does not purchase them;
(3) that in April 2015, Mr Reiniger and Cellcrete refused to supply necessary items for the CA10MK3 pump which CMS is contractually obliged to supply to the operators of the CA10MK3 pumps which it has supplied;
(4) that in April 2015, Mr Reiniger contacted manufacturers and suppliers and requested that they also refuse to supply to CMS necessary items for the CA10MK3 pump;
(5) that from January 2013, Mr Reiniger and Cellcrete purchased all of a particular part from a supplier to CMS, and entered an arrangement with that supplier that required the supplier not to supply to CMS (and the supplier subsequently refused to supply on 7 July 2014);
(6) around 13 March 2015, Mr Reiniger attempted to sell to RUS Mining the technology underlying the CA10MK3 pump; and
(7) On 29 April 2015 and 5 May 2015, Mr Reiniger sent an email to approximately 40 people and companies which had been clients of CMS, using information confidential to CMS. The contents of that email are not pleaded but in the respondents' defence they say that the email was sent to eight people or companies which included two of whom were clients of CMS, containing a letter that addressed CMS's threats to commence patent infringement actions against those people.
16 In its originating application, CMS seeks various relief which, in very broad terms, includes
(1) declarations that copyright in the Safety File and the Hydraulic Schematic has vested in CMS;
(2) declarations and injunctions restraining Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger from dealing with that confidential information and from using "Copyright Works";
(3) damages and equitable compensation; and
(4) orders pursuant to s 80 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) restraining Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger from entering any contract, arrangement or understanding that prevents or restricts or limits the supply of components to the CA10MK3 pump.
17 There is no doubt that the allegations against Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger are serious. In a defence filed last night, Cellcrete and Mr Reiniger deny the allegations. It is clear that the litigation will be robustly pursued by both parties.