Judges were not afraid to vent their spleen in 2023, but lawyers were not the only object of judicial scorn last year, as judges waded into public discourse and sounded off over issues including complex legislation, media reports, famous social media commentators, and the involvement of government departments in legal proceedings.
Vittoria’s Cantarella Bros has lodged an appeal in a long-running trade mark stoush with Italian rival Lavazza after a judge found the coffee manufacturer’s two registered ‘Oro’ marks should be cancelled because the word was previously used by another coffee supplier.
A government entity that subsidises fossil fuel projects is facing a novel lawsuit alleging it failed to disclose the full environmental and climate impacts of its activities.
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Australia made misleading statements that its Fairy ‘30 Minute Miracle’ dishwashing tablet was better at cleaning than Reckitt Benckiser’s Finish Platinum Plus, but both companies made false claims about their products, a judge has found.
US car giant Ford has partially succeeded in its challenge to a judgment that found it owed more than $6,800 to the lead applicant in a class action over defective PowerShift transmissions, but the High Court may ultimately decide how damages should be calculated under the Australian Consumer Law for reduction in value.
South Korean biosimilars company Samsung Bioepis has sued to invalidate two patents held by a German competitor for a pre-filled syringe to treat age-related eye diseases, as generic drug makers race for a piece of the lucrative eye drug market.
A judge has rejected Facebook owner Meta’s request to pause a case by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over scam cryptocurrency ads until a private criminal action by mining magnate Andrew Forrest is decided.
Vittoria’s Cantarella Bros has lost its long-running trade mark stoush with Italian rival Lavazza after a judge found the coffee manufacturer’s two registered ‘Oro’ marks should be cancelled because the word was previously used by another coffee supplier.
Tech company SARB has won a stay of orders barring it from selling its sensor-based system which the city of Melbourne uses for timing parked vehicles, after a judge found it infringed rival Vehicle Management Systems’ patent.
Sanofi has lost its bid to limit evidence from experts for Amgen in a patent dispute over a cholesterol-lowering antibody, with a judge dismissing concerns about Amgen having a majority of experts giving concurrent evidence. In an application filed at the beginning of the month, the French pharmaceutical company sought to bar Amgen from relying…