Jusand Nominees Pty Ltd v Rattlejack Innovations Pty Ltd
[2022] FCA 867
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Federal Court of Australia
Decision date
2022-07-25
Before
Rofe J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (7 paragraphs)
Background to costs issues 11 Jusand commenced these proceedings against the first respondent, Rattlejack Innovations Pty Ltd (Rattlejack), on 9 June 2021. In addition to final relief for infringement of claims of its three Patents, Jusand sought an interim injunction against Rattlejack to restrain its dealings with its SafetySpear product. 12 In response to the interim injunction application Rattlejack filed affidavits made 6 July 2021 from Mark Coughlan, CEO of Murray Engineering and Mr Keith Law, Area Manager for Byrnecut Australia Pty Ltd (Byrnecut). The affidavits gave details of a memorandum of understanding for distribution of SafetySpears between Rattlejack and Murray Engineering, an order by Byrnecut for the supply of 200 SafetySpears, the delivery of 80 SafetySpear products to Byrnecut, and the deployment of 26 of the SafetySpear products at Byrnecut mines. These matters were not known to Jusand prior to the filing of the two affidavits. 13 On 16 July 2021, I made orders, amongst others, that all questions of liability be determined separately to questions of the quantum of any pecuniary relief, and setting the issues of liability down for trial commencing 27 September 2021. 14 On 3 August 2021, I made orders by consent joining the second, third, and fourth respondents (being Pan Australis Pty Ltd, Murray Engineering, and Leigh Sutton) to the proceeding. 15 On 5 August 2021, Murray Engineering filed a notice of acting, indicating that it had appointed different solicitors to those acting for the Rattlejack Parties. 16 On 6 August 2021, Jusand's solicitors wrote to Murray Engineering's solicitors. In that letter Jusand's solicitors raised the issue of Murray Engineering having separate representation to the Rattlejack Parties, and whether it would be entitled to the costs of that separate representation: Finally, while your client is entitled to obtain separate representation in this proceeding, our client does not accept that this is reasonable in all of the circumstances of this case, and that may have costs consequences should Jusand be unsuccessful in this proceeding. Our client reserves its rights in that respect. 17 On 13 August 2021, Murray Engineering filed its Defence. Other than the s 119C exemption to infringement, the matters raised in its Defence did not depart from that of the Rattlejack Parties. Murray Engineering did not join Rattlejack's cross-claim, but in its Defence it pleaded that the: Patent has been at all material times invalid on the grounds specified in the cross-claim filed by the First Respondent on 7 July 2021 and any amended cross-claim filed by the First Respondent after that date (Cross-Claim), and is liable to be revoked. 18 On 19 August 2021, in the context of correspondence about security for costs in relation to Murray Engineering's costs in addition to those of the Rattlejack parties, Jusand's solicitors again raised the issue of Murray Engineering's separate representation: It now appears that, notwithstanding our letter dated 6 August 2021, in which we noted that, while the third respondent was entitled to choose separate representation in this proceeding, it did not follow that it is reasonable to expect that such representation should be paid for by the applicant, the third respondent is not prepared to consent to the proposed orders. We note, for example, that in relation to infringement the third respondent has not filed any additional evidence and does not seek to do so. Nor has it sought to be joined to the first respondent's cross-claim (although in its defence it relies on that cross-claim). 19 On 30 August 2021, Jusand's solicitors raised the issue of separate representation for Murray Engineering for the third time in further correspondence relating to security for costs: As to the question of separate representation, while (as has been accepted in earlier correspondence) the applicant acknowledges that the third respondent is entitled to separate representation, the third respondent is not entitled to expect that the applicant will pay for that separate representation - even if the applicant were ultimately unsuccessful - in circumstances where there is no conflict of interest between the respondent parties. … We also confirm, for the avoidance of doubt, that the applicant's provision of that guarantee does not indicate acceptance by the applicant that: • Any respondent is entitled to the provision of security by the applicant; or • The third respondent, having elected to be separately represented in circumstances where there is no conflict with the other respondents, is entitled to have any part of its legal costs paid by the applicant - regardless of the outcome of the proceeding. [emphasis in original] 20 On 2 September 2021, Murray Engineering's lawyers prepared and sent a Notice of Offer to Compromise to Jusand (the Offer). The Offer was expressed to be open for 14 days after service. The Offer provided that: (a) Murray Engineering would cease the sale, supply, distribution, and use of the SafetySpear product the subject of the proceedings, unless and until it was determined that the relevant claims of the patents were invalid or the SafetySpear did not infringe; (b) The proceedings against Murray Engineering would be dismissed; (c) Murray Engineering would pay Jusand the sum of $10,000 within 14 days of acceptance of the offer; and (d) The parties would otherwise bear their own costs. 21 On 17 September 2021, Jusand's lawyers sent an email to Murray Engineering's lawyers rejecting the Offer. 22 The hearing of the liability issues took place via Microsoft Teams on 27 to 30 September 2021. 23 At [18] of the 16 May 2022 Reasons, I summarised my findings on the liability issues: (a) the SafetySpear does not infringe the Asserted Claims; (b) the Asserted Claims do not lack clarity; (c) the Asserted Claims are invalid as they do not meet the requirements of ss 40(2)(a) and 40(3) of the Act; and (d) the Byrnecut "trials" of the 200 SafetySpears do not constitute experimental use for the purposes of s 119C of the Act.