austlii:cth/ATMO/2025/128
General information, not legal advice.
ATMO
2025-06-27
Original judgment source is linked above.
Goods: Class 18: Backpacks; Backpacks for carrying infants; Collars for animals; Collars for cats; Dog collars; Bags (envelopes, pouches) of leather, for packaging; Bags made of leather; Boxes made of leather; Boxes made of leather boards; Boxes of leather or leather board; Chin straps, of leather; Furniture coverings of leather; Labels of leather; Leather bags; Leather belts (shoulder); Leather boxes; Leather cloth; Leather shoulder belts; Leather shoulder straps; Leather travelling suitcases; Leather trimmings for furniture; Leather wallets; Shoulder belts (straps), of leather; Tool bags of leather (empty); Travelling sets (leatherware); Beach umbrellas (portable); Combination walking sticks and umbrellas; Covers for umbrellas; Garden umbrellas; Handles for umbrellas; Market umbrellas (portable); Shade umbrellas (portable); Sunshades in the nature of umbrellas; Umbrellas; Articles of clothing for animals; Leg pads being protective clothing for animals; Leashes for animals; Leather leashes ('Registered Goods')
Continuous Use in Commerce: MATEIN has been actively used in commerce since its inception. We have included sales data and financial records demonstrating the commercial activity associated with our brand.
MATEIN has gained significant recognition and distinctiveness among consumers in the Australian market. We have gained testimonials from satisfied customers, market research data showing consumer awareness and loyalty to our brand.
Compliance with Australian Trademark Laws: We affirm that our brand, MATEIN, complies with all relevant laws and regulations governing trademarks in Australia. We have ensured that our brand does not infringe upon any existing trademarks or intellectual property rights held by other parties.
Response to Complaint Allegations: Regarding the Removal application for non-use, we will make the following rebuttal. We have a complete procurement and sales channel, please refer to the attachment, procurement invoice, and sales list. Our finance personnel have found a purchase invoice that shows the specific ASIN of the backpack (on the Amazon website), namely B09Z996DJY, for a total of 30 pieces. We sell these MATEIN backpacks on the Amazon Australia site, along with several Amazon order transaction screenshots. Please take a look. Offline, we are also consistently selling MATEIN backpacks. There are 2 sales receipt pictures attached.
Right's owner's communication content: Dear, this seller is selling fakes, please help us remove, thanks
Firstly, my trademark is legal and we have not engaged in any violations. We have been operating in compliance with the law and are entitled to protection from the Australian trademark management authorities.
Secondly, this trademark belongs to us, and how we operate it has nothing to do with others. They have no right to accuse us. They have no right to deny our trademark and rightful rights.
92 Application for removal of trade mark from Register etc. > > ... > > (4) An application under subsection (1) or (3) (non‑use application) may be made on either or both of the following grounds, and on no other grounds: > > (a) that, on the day on which the application for the registration of the trade mark was filed, the applicant for registration had no intention in good faith: > > (i) to use the trade mark in Australia; or > > (ii) to authorise the use of the trade mark in Australia; or > > (iii) to assign the trade mark to a body corporate for use by the body corporate in Australia; > > in relation to the goods and/or services to which the non‑use application relates and that the registered owner: > > (iv) has not used the trade mark in Australia; or > > (v) has not used the trade mark in good faith in Australia; > > in relation to those goods and/or services at any time before the period of one month ending on the day on which the non‑use application is filed...
**_Use by the registered owner or an authorised user
The expression "use in good faith" has a well understood meaning in this context, viz, real, as opposed to token, use in a commercial sense.[3]
...the backpack shown in the product photo is clearly not a MATEIN backpack. The label showing on the backpack is "FASHION", which is a label used on completely generic low-cost low quality goods. For example, annexed hereto as Exhibit YJ13 is a copy of a Temu listing for an identical FASION backpack with a price of $12.47. The only difference is that the FASHION label has been rendered differently.[6]
Each of these items was purportedly sold at a price much higher than the price at which we sell MATEIN travel laptop backpacks. Even if the sales records are in fact genuine, this suggests that the seller did not seriously intend to sell many backpacks. It is not clear whether the seller purchased genuine MATEIN backpacks from us and then resold them at a higher price to the purchasers, or whether he fraudulently sent the purchasers the cheap low-quality "FASHION" backpacks shown in the product listing. In any event, the sales, if they occurred, do not appear to be genuine commercial sales.[7]
Intention to use or authorise use of the Trade Mark
... the making of the application itself is, I think, to be regarded as prima facie evidence of intention to use. I cannot think that the Registrar is called upon to institute an inquiry as to the intention of any applicant, and I think that, on an opposition or on a motion to expunge, the burden must rest on the opponent, or the person aggrieved, of proving the absence of intention. Again, I do not think that "intention" in this connexion ought to be regarded as meaning an intention to use immediately or within any limited time.[9]
Although the opponent to removal does bear the initial onus, in accordance with the legislation, I think that, in the case of applications for removal under s 92(4)(a), where the primary allegation regards the state of mind of an applicant for registration about whether it intends to use a mark in good faith, then that onus is not high. I believe that it is so low that it can be overcome if the opponent or its agent states that it was the case that the applicant for registration had an intention to use the mark in good faith. The onus should then shift to the removal applicant to support its case - perhaps by the production of some evidence which might support a circumstantial case of a lack of good faith, or by some other means.[10]
... The phrase 'intention in good faith' means a 'genuine intent to use a mark for commercial purposes; it does not involve any element of honesty or subjective good intentions'. This is not a case where the Trade Mark has a long history and the intention of the applicant at the time of filing the Trade Mark cannot be determined. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that [the applicant] intended to use the Trade Mark for commercial purposes, authorise use of the Trade Mark or assign it to a body corporate for its use. In fact, the EIS indicates that he had no such intention and filed the Trade Mark for the sole purpose of assigning it to the Removal Opponent upon registration. This is not a proper basis for filing a trade mark under s 27 ... and does not constitute an intention to use the Trade Mark in good faith sufficient to successfully oppose the Removal Application. I am satisfied that the applicant, [the applicant], did not have an intention to use the Trade Mark in good faith at the time of filing.[12]
[t]he following propositions are relevant to the exercise of this discretion:
(1) It is broad and is unfettered in the sense that there are no express limits on it. It is to be understood as limited only by the subject-matter, scope and purpose of the legislation and, in particular, by the subject-matter scope and purpose of Part 9 of the Trade Marks Act.
(2) The scope and purpose of the Trade Marks Act strikes a balance between various disparate interests. On the one hand there is the interest of consumers in recognising a trade mark as a badge of origin of goods or services and in avoiding deception or confusion as to that origin. On the other is the interest of traders, both in protecting their goodwill through the creation of a statutory species of property protected by the action against infringement, and in turning the property to valuable account by licensing or assignment. ...
(3) The particular purpose of Part 9, within which s 101 falls, is to provide for the removal of unused trade marks from the Register. It is designed to protect the integrity of the Register and in that way the interests of consumers. At the same time, it seeks to accommodate, where reasonable to do so, the interests of registered trade mark owners. Accordingly, the Court must be positively satisfied that it is reasonable that the trade mark should not be removed. The onus in this respect lies on the trade mark owner to persuade the Court that it is reasonable to exercise the discretion in favour of the owner. ...
(4) The discretion in s 101(3) is expressed in the present tense. It requires consideration of whether, at the time that the Court is called upon to make its decision, it is reasonable not to remove the mark.
(5) The range of factors considered in the exercise of the discretion has included whether or not:
(b) the registered proprietor of the mark still has a residual reputation in the mark;
(c) there have been sales by the registered owner of the mark of the goods for which removal was sought since the relevant period ended;
(d) the applicant for removal had entered the market in knowledge of the registered mark;
(e) the registered proprietors were aware of the applicant's sales under the mark;
[1] Unless specified otherwise, a reference in these reasons to a section is a reference to such in the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) and a reference to a regulation is a reference to such in the Trade Marks Regulations 1995 (Cth) ('Regulations').
[2] Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 156, [133] (Besanko, Jagot and Edelman JJ) in respect of oppositions under s 52 of the Act.
[3] [2001] FCA 261, [16].
[4] E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan (Aust) Pty Ltd [2010] HCA 15, [64] (French CJ, Gummow, Crennan and Bell JJ).
[5] Nodoz Trade Mark [1962] RPC 1, 7 (Wilberforce J).
[8] Exhibit YJ6, 119. See also, Exhibit YJ2, 21 to 23.
[9] [1960] HCA 47, [21].
[10] [2000] ATMO 31 (Hearing Officer Forno).
[11] For example, in Watermill International (Australia) Pty Ltd v David M Windmiller [2010] ATMO 30, [14] (Hearing Officer H Wilson) and in Shan Patterson v Harold Van Haltren [2025] ATMO 22, [35] (Hearing Officer Tuohy).
[12] [2023] ATMO 104, [33] (Hearing Officer Berger) (emphasis added).
[13] Wal-Mart Stores, Inc v Ozark-London Ltd [2004] ATMO 33 (Hearing Officer Thompson).
[14] [2004] ATMO 18 (Hearing Officer Thompson).
[15] Swole Gym Wear Group Pty Ltd v Swole O'Clock Ltd [2019] FCA 685, [34] (Steward J).
[16] Republic Consulting Pty Ltd v Nhan Chiem [2008] ATMO 20, [51] and [52] (Hearing Officer Williams).
[17] E & J Gallo Winery v Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd [2008] FCA 934, [198] (Flick J) citing Kowa Co Ltd v Organon [2005] FCA 1282, [98] (Lander J).
[18] [2021] FCAFC 128, [153] (Jagot, Nicholas and Burley JJ) (citations omitted).
Ping Shi
Shenzhen Yaodatong Electronic Technology Co., Ltd [2025] ATMO 128