austlii:cth/ATMO/2025/86
General information, not legal advice.
ATMO
2025-05-19
Original judgment source is linked above.
DECISION OF A DELEGATE OF THE REGISTRAR OF TRADE MARKS WITH REASONS**
Re: Opposition by T&P Lindrum Pty Ltd to application under section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) by Janne Clara Lindrum to remove trade mark number 750507 (42) - LINDRUM - in the name of T&P Lindrum Pty Ltd
Opponent: Sam Hallahan of Counsel instructed by Actuate IP
Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) - application under section 92 - sections 92(4)(a) and 92(4)(b) - use of trade mark not established - no obstacle to use - discretion to maintain registration not exercised - trade mark to be removed
Specification: Class 42: Procuring lodgings and rooms in hotels, guest houses, and other like accommodation establishments; hotel, guest house and accommodation services included in this class ('Registered Services')
(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:
(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:
(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;
(b) that the trade mark has remained registered for a continuous period of 3 years ending one month before the day on which the non‑use application is filed, and, at no time during that period, the person who was then the registered owner:
(ii) used the trade mark in good faith in Australia;
in relation to the goods and/or services to which the application relates.
Use of a trade mark in relation to goods means use of a trade mark upon, or in physical or other relation to, those goods, and so can include use of the mark on product packaging or marketing such as on a website. There is a distinction, although not always easy to apply, between the use of a sign in relation to goods and the use of a sign as a trade mark. A trade mark is a sign used, or intended to be used, to distinguish goods dealt with by one trader from goods dealt with by other traders; that is, as a badge of origin to indicate a connection between the goods and the user of the mark.
Whether a sign has been "use[d] as a trade mark" is assessed objectively without reference to the subjective trading intentions of the user. As the meaning of a sign, such as a word, varies with the context in which the sign is used, the objective purpose and nature of use are assessed by reference to context. That context includes the relevant trade, the way in which the words have been displayed, and how the words would present themselves to persons who read them and form a view about what they connote. A well known example where the use was not "as a trade mark" was in Irving's Yeast-Vite Ltd v Horsenail, where the phrase "Yeast tablets a substitute for 'Yeast-Vite'" was held to be merely descriptive and not a use of "Yeast-Vite" as a trade mark. Therefore, it did not contravene the YEAST-VITE mark.
The existence of a descriptive element or purpose does not necessarily preclude the sign being used as a trade mark. Where there are several purposes for the use of the sign, if one purpose is to distinguish the goods provided in the course of trade that will be sufficient to establish use as a trade mark. Where there are several words or signs used in combination, the existence of a clear dominant "brand" is relevant to the assessment of what would be taken to be the effect of the balance of the label, but does not mean another part of the label cannot also act to distinguish the goods.[9]
('Logo trade mark') (collectively, 'Lindrum Trade Marks').8 Definitions of authorised user and authorised use
(1) A person is an authorised user of a trade mark if the person uses the trade mark in relation to goods or services under the control of the owner of the trade mark.
(2) The use of a trade mark by an authorised user of the trade mark is an authorised use of the trade mark to the extent only that the user uses the trade mark under the control of the owner of the trade mark.
(3) If the owner of a trade mark exercises quality control over goods or services:
(a) dealt with or provided in the course of trade by another person; and
the other person is taken, for the purposes of subsection (1), to use the trade mark in relation to the goods or services under the control of the owner.
(a) a person deals with or provides, in the course of trade, goods or services in relation to which a trade mark is used; and
(b) the owner of the trade mark exercises financial control over the other person's relevant trading activities;
the other person is taken, for the purposes of subsection (1), to use the trade mark in relation to the goods or services under the control of the owner.
(5) Subsections (3) and (4) do not limit the meaning of the expression under the control of in subsections (1) and (2).
If satisfied that it is reasonable to do so, the Registrar or the court may decide that the trade mark should not be removed from the Register even if the grounds on which the application was made have been established.
The purpose of Part 9 is to provide for the removal of unused trade marks from the Register. In that regard it is plainly designed to protect the integrity of the Register, and in this way, the interests of the consumer. At the same time, however, it seeks to accommodate, where reasonable, the interests of the registered trade mark owners.[22]
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, any references to sections or regulations, below, are references to sections or regulations of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) ('Act') or the Trade Marks Regulations 1995 (Cth) ('Regulations'), respectively.
[2] Per s 93(2) prior to the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission Response Part 1 and Other Measures) Act 2018 as applies in the present matter. The updated s 93(2) applies to trade mark applications filed from 24 February 2019 onwards.
[3] The Register confirms that the assignment was recorded on 1 June 2023.
[4] Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 156, [133] (Besanko, Jagot and Edelman JJ), albeit in respect of an action opposing registration rather than removal.
[5] [2001] FCA 261, [16].
[7] Great White Shark Enterprises Inc v Joose Apparel Pty Ltd [1998] ATMO 8 (Delegate Forno).
[8] [1962] RPC 1, 7.
[9] [2023] HCA 8, [23]-[25] (Kiefel CJ, Gageler, Gordon, Edelman and Gleeson JJ) (citations omitted).
[11] The Shell Company Australia Ltd v Esso Standard Oil (Australia) Limited [1963] HCA 66; (1963) 109 CLR 407, 414 (Windeyer J).
[12] [2017] FCAFC 56 (Greenwood, Besanko and Katzmann JJ).
[13] [2017] FCAFC 83 (Greenwood, Jagot, and Beach JJ).
[14] I consider the stylisation of the word LINDRUM to be slightly more than a 'change of style' as per Bennett J in Pioneer Computers Australia Pty Ltd v Pioneer KK [2009] FCA 135, [117] but less than the changes in the relevant trade marks considered in PDP Capital Pty Ltd v Grasshopper Ventures Pty Ltd [2021] FCAFC 128 (Jagot, Nicholas and Burley JJ ) where the stylised tail in the letter 'd' formed a significant part of the registered trade mark and the other new trade mark incorporated new embellishments as well as a change of font.
[15] Cowland, Confidential Annexure AC-2.
[16] [2016] FCAFC 92 [184].
[18] Optical 88 Ltd v Optical 88 Pty Ltd (No 2) [2010] FCA 1380, [273] (Yates J).
[19] Austin, Nichols & Co Inc v Lodestar Anstalt [2012] FCAFC 8, [28] (Jacobson, Yates and Katzmann JJ).
[20] [2008] FCA 934, [202].
[22] [2012] FCAFC 8, [38] (Jacobson, Yates and Katzmann JJ).
T&P Lindrum Pty Ltd
Janne Clara Lindrum [2025] ATMO 86
(1963) 109 CLR 407