REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
BUCHANAN J:
1 This judgment concerns a charge of contempt brought against the respondent, Mr Hoey, for breaching orders made by Sackville J on 9 June 2006 (Universal City Studios LLLP v Hoey trading as DVD Kingdom [2006] FCA 727). The proceedings before Sackville J were commenced by application and statement of claim filed on 15 February 2006 (each amended 16 February 2006).
2 According to the amended statement of claim the first six applicants are corporations incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States of America (Universal, Fox, Columbia, Paramount, Warner and Disney). The seventh to thirteenth applicants are corporations incorporated in Australia (Universal Pictures, Fox South Pacific, Fox Australia, Columbia Tristar, Paramount Home Entertainment, Roadshow and Buena Vista Australia). It was pleaded that the USA corporations have exclusive control of the following cinematograph films: Universal - Meet the Fockers (2004) and White Noise (2005); Fox - Elektra (2005); Columbia - Spanglish (2004); Paramount - Alfie (2004); Warner - Oceans 12 (2004); and, Disney - National Treasure (2004). In addition, Roadshow was pleaded to have an exclusive licence to import into Australia the cinematograph film 'Racing Stripes' (2005).
3 It was asserted that Mr Hoey had 'from time to time offered or exposed for sale in Australia, and sold in Australia in non-Region 4 DVD format copies' of each of these films and that he had done so without the licence of the relevant applicant where 'he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the making of the copies in Australia by the importer would have constituted an infringement of copyright'.
4 Accordingly it was pleaded that Mr Hoey had infringed the copyright of the USA and/or Australian corporations in the identified films. The applicants sought that he be restrained and consequential relief.
5 The proceedings before Sackville J were undefended. Sackville J was satisfied by affidavits read in support of a notice of motion for default judgment 'that the respondent has infringed the copyright of the various applicants in the identified films by selling or offering for sale DVDs that constitute copies of the films. The evidence also satisfies me that, unless restrained, the respondent is likely to continue his infringing activities.' Sackville J made the orders sought by the applicants in the motion which included restraining orders, an order for delivery up on oath of the infringing copies of the applicants' films and an inquiry as to damages, including additional damages under s 115(4) of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) ('the Act').
6 By a notice of motion filed 8 December 2006 which was accompanied by a 'Statement of Charge' the applicants sought the following further orders:
'1. An order for the punishment of the Respondent for contempt of Court by reason of the Respondent's conduct as set out in the Statement of Charge filed with this Notice of Motion, such punishment to consist of:
(a) imprisonment;
(b) a fine;
(c) sequestration of property; and/or
(d) such further or other order as the Court sees fit.
2. Costs on an indemnity basis.
3. Such further or other orders as the Court sees fit.'
7 Mr Hoey appeared at the hearing of the charge against him but has never filed an appearance or any pleading. The extent of Mr Hoey's response (prior to the actual hearing of the charge against him) was to file a document in the form of an affidavit on 5 February 2007 and appear by video-link at a directions hearing on 19 March 2007. The affidavit was a fairly unstructured mix of requests for clarification of his rights, protestations that interference with his sale of the DVD material in question is unjustified and other generalised assertions about the issues raised in the original proceedings. This affidavit does not appear to me to respond, in any direct sense, to the charge of contempt. At the hearing Mr Hoey elected not to advance it as evidence (with the consequence that he would face cross-examination) and I ruled that I would treat it as a submission but give it no evidentiary weight.
8 The orders made by Sackville J extended beyond restraint with respect to the particular films which had been identified in the amended statement of claim. They were more general in their nature. It is as well to set out orders 1 to 9 in full. They are as follows:
'1. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the First Applicant or the Seventh Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a digital versatile disc (DVD) in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Universal Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Universal Film.
2. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Second Applicant, the Eighth Applicant or the Ninth Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Fox Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Fox Film.
3. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Third Applicant or the Tenth Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any film Columbia Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Columbia Film.
4. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Fourth Applicant or the Eleventh Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Paramount Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Paramount Film.
5. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Fifth or Twelfth Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Warner Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Warner Film.
6. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Sixth Applicant or the Thirteenth Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Disney Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Disney Film.
7. The Respondent, whether by himself, his servants or agents or otherwise howsoever, be restrained from, without the licence of the Twelfth Applicant:
(a) selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any copy of a DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Roadshow Film.
(b) importing for the purpose of selling, letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing for sale or hire, distributing for the purpose of trade or by way of trade exhibiting in public any DVD in non-region 4 DVD format embodying any Roadshow Film.
8. The Respondent deliver up on oath any copies in DVD format of the cinematograph films identified in paragraphs 1 to 7 above in the possession, power, custody or control of the Respondent.
9. There be an inquiry as to damages payable by the Respondent pursuant to sections 115 and 116 of the Copyright Act 1968 and additional damages payable pursuant to s 115(4) of the Copyright Act 1968.'
9 The terms 'Universal Film', 'Fox Film', 'Columbia Film', 'Paramount film', 'Warner Film', 'Disney Film' and 'Roadshow Film' were each defined. In the case of Universal (and the same format was followed generally) the definitions read:
'Universal Film means any film:
(a) of which the First and/or Seventh Applicant is the:
(i) owner (whether because it made the film or has been assigned the copyright in the film); or
(ii) exclusive licensee in Australia of the copyright in the film, and
(b) in relation to which the First and/or Seventh Applicant has Notified the Respondent, or has caused the Respondent to be Notified, is a film of which it is the owner or exclusive licensee in Australia (where such notification includes a notice to the effect that if a film has a particular trade mark (specified in the notice) the First and/or Seventh Applicant is the owner or exclusive licensee in Australia),
including the films listed in the Schedule to this order under heading "Particular Universal Films".'
10 It will be seen that the orders provided for Mr Hoey to be notified that films bearing a particular trademark (specified in the notice) were included in the prohibition imposed upon him with respect to the films as defined. Although the films included those listed in a schedule which corresponded to those identified in the amended statement of claim that list was not restrictive.
11 Although the contempt charged in the present case is a 'civil contempt', it may, if proved, be punished by a fine or by imprisonment. The distinction between civil and criminal contempt was doubted in Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union v Mudginberrie Station Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 98 and in Witham v Holloway (1995) 183 CLR 525 the High Court held that 'all charges of contempt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt' (at 534). Accordingly, that is the standard of proof I must apply in the present case.
12 The breaches alleged in the statement of charge are, firstly, that Mr Hoey, either personally or by a servant or agent, sold the following films in breach of orders 1, 2, 3 or 6 - 'United 93', 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift', 'The Sentinel', 'Phat Girlz', 'RV', and 'The Wild'; secondly, that he exposed or offered 'The Shaggy Dog' for sale in breach of Order 6. Thirdly, although Mr Hoey delivered four boxes of non Region 4 DVDs to solicitors for the applicants containing 'approximately 211 DVDs' it is alleged that he failed to deliver up all relevant DVDs and failed to deliver up any DVDs on oath in breach of Order 8. It is further alleged that after dispatch of the DVDs actually delivered up Mr Hoey still displayed 'an estimated 1,612 region 1 DVDs' at his premises.
13 The factual foundation for the allegations in the statement of charge is to be found in a series of affidavits read in the case for the applicants. They were:
'(a) Affidavit of Personal Service of Peter Jones sworn 6 July 2006 ("Jones Service #1")
(b) Affidavit of Gavin Shane Warren affirmed 21 September 2006 ("Warren")
(c) Affidavit of Sue Elizabeth Cohen affirmed 19 October 2006 ('Cohen')
(d) Affidavit of Peter Richard Ayling sworn 9 November 2006 ("Ayling")
(e) Affidavit of Vicki Munn sworn 13 November 2006 ("Munn")
(f) Affidavit of Tim Ross Fullerton affirmed 21 November 2006 ("Fullerton")
(g) Affidavit of Gareth Douglas Samuel affirmed 28 November 2006 ("Samuel")
(h) Affidavit of Michelle Catherine Eadie affirmed 8 December 2006 ("Eadie")
(i) Affidavit of Personal Service of Peter Jones sworn 13 December 2006 ("Jones Service #2")
(j) Affidavit of Personal Service of Peter Jones sworn 13 December 2006 ("Jones Service #3")
(k) Affidavit of Suzanne Marie Moorhouse sworn 18 December 2006 ("Moorhouse").'
14 Further affidavits were identified at the hearing but it became unnecessary for the applicants to rely upon them and they were not read.
15 There is no countervailing evidence and there is no reason not to accept as proven, to the requisite standard, the factual matters deposed to in these affidavits. I shall discuss in due course, whether (and to what extent) the facts established prove the allegations in the statement of charge.