Manos Foods International Inc. v. Coca-Cola Ltd. et al., (1997) 26 O.T.C. 41 (GD)

• Judge: Gotlib, J.
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Case Date: August 02, 1996
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1997), 26 O.T.C. 41 (GD)

Manos Foods Intl. Inc. v. Coca-Cola (1997), 26 O.T.C. 41 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite [1997] O.T.C. TBEd. MY.048

Manos Foods International Inc. (plaintiff) v. Coca-Cola Ltd., Coca-Cola Bottling Ltd. and Costco Wholesale Corporation and Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. (defendants)

(Court File No. 96-CU-103730CM)

Indexed As: Manos Foods International Inc. v. Coca-Cola Ltd. et al.

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Gotlib, J.

May 2, 1997.

Summary:

The plaintiff carried on an import and export business. The defendant Coca-Cola Ltd. (CCL) owned the Coca-Cola trademarks in Canada. The defendant Coca-Cola Bottling Ltd. (CCBL) was a licensee of CCL for the use in Canada of the Coca-Cola trademarks and, as a licensee, manufactured Coca-Cola products. The plaintiff had arranged with the Costco defendants for deliveries of Coca-Cola products, but the transaction was not completed. Costco was pressured by CCL and CCBL not to supply the plaintiff. The plaintiff brought a motion for an interim interlocutory mandatory injunction against Costco, CCL and CCBL, claiming that it would suffer irreparable harm if Costco was not compelled to sell the product to the plaintiff and also that the defendants' boycott of the plaintiff in selling Coca-Cola products constituted an unfair and discriminatory business practice and intentional interference in the ongoing contractual and economic relations of the plaintiff. CCL and CCBL brought a cross-motion for an interlocutory injunction restraining the plaintiff from, inter alia, directly or indirectly infringing the trademarks of CCL by unauthorized export and transshipment of Canadian origin Coca-Cola products.

The Ontario Court (General Division) dismissed the motion and cross-motion.

Injunctions - Topic 1606

Interlocutory or interim injunctions - Balance of convenience - See paragraphs 37 to 39.

Injunctions - Topic 1610

Interlocutory or interim injunctions - Circumstances when injunction will not be granted - See paragraphs 1 to 42.

Injunctions - Topic 1802

Interlocutory or interim injunctions - Requirement of irreparable injury - What constitutes - See paragraphs 28 to 36.

Injunctions - Topic 2303

Mandatory injunctions - When available - See paragraphs 1 to 42.

Injunctions - Topic 2306

Mandatory injunctions - To compel continuation of business or service contract - See paragraphs 1 to 42.

Injunctions - Topic 2309

Mandatory injunctions - Interim or interlocutory mandatory injunctions - See paragraphs 1 to 42.

Cases Noticed:

RJR-MacDonald Inc. et Imperial Tobacco Ltd. v. Canada (Procureur général), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 311; 164 N.R. 1; 60 Q.A.C. 241; 111 D.L.R.(4th) 385; 54 C.P.R.(3d) 114, appld. [para. 9].

American Cyanamid Co. v. Ethicon Ltd., [1975] 1 All E.R. 504; [1975] A.C. 396 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 9].

Ticketnet Corp. v. Air Canada (1987), 21 C.P.C.(2d) 38 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 13].

Shepherd Homes Ltd. v. Sandham, [1970] 3 All E.R. 402 (Ch. D.), refd to. [para. 13].

Tritav Holdings Ltd. v. National Bank of Canada (1996), 47 C.P.C.(3d) 91 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 14].

Shear v. Coffee Time Donuts Inc., [1994] O.J. No. 273 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 14].

Miller (Ed) Sales and Rentals Ltd. v. Caterpillar Tractor Co. et al., [1994] 5 W.W.R. 473; 151 A.R. 1 (Q.B.), revd. [1996] 9 W.W.R. 449; 187 A.R. 81; 127 W.A.C. 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Merkur Island Shipping Corp. v. Laughton; Ship Hoegh Anapa, [1983] 2 All E.R. 189 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 17].

Dufferin Real Estate Ltd. v. Giralico, [1989] O.J. No. 1525 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

Polaroid Canada Inc. v. Continent-Wide Enterprises Ltd. (1994), 59 C.P.R.(3d) 257 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 19].

Tank Lining Corp. v. Dunlop Industries Ltd. (1982), 40 O.R.(2d) 219; 68 C.P.R.(2d) 162 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

Smith & Nephew Inc. et al. v. Glen Oak et al. (1996), 198 N.R. 302; 68 C.P.R.(3d) 153 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Revlon Inc. v. Cripps & Lee Ltd., [1980] F.S.R. 85 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Wilkinson Sword (Can.) Ltd. v. Juda (1968), 51 C.P.R. 55 (Ex.), refd to. [para. 22].

Colgate Palmolive Ltd. v. Markwell Finance Ltd., [1989] R.P.C. 49 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Coca-Cola Ltd. v. Fisher Trading Co. (1988), 25 C.P.R.(3d) 200 (F.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 23].

Wella Canada Inc. v. Pearlon Products Ltd. (1984), 4 C.P.R.(3d) 287 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 24].

Consumers Distributing Co. v. Seiko Time Canada Ltd. et al., [1984] 1 S.C.R. 583; 54 N.R. 161; 1 C.P.R.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 24].

Syntex Inc. v. Apotex Inc. (1989), 32 F.T.R. 42; 28 C.P.R.(3d) 40 (T.D.), revd. (1991), 126 N.R. 122; 36 C.P.R.(3d) 139 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 25].

Universal City Studios Inc. v. Zellers Inc., [1984] 1 F.C. 49; 73 C.P.R.(2d) 1 (F.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].

Fruit of the Loom Inc. v. Chateau Lingerie Manufacturing Co. (1982), 63 C.P.R.(2d) 51 (F.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].

Syntex Inc. v. Apotex Inc. (1991), 126 N.R. 114; 36 C.P.R.(3d) 129 (F.C.A.), refd. to. [para. 27].

688863 Ontario Ltd. v. Landover Enterprises Inc. (1991), 45 F.T.R. 75; 35 C.P.R.(3d) 399 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 27].

Merck & Co. and Merck Frosst Canada v. Apotex Inc. (1993), 69 F.T.R. 209; 51 C.P.R.(3d) 170 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 28].

International Business Machines Corp. v. Ordinateurs Spirales Inc./Spirales Computers Inc. (1984), 80 C.P.R.(2d) 187 (F.C.T.D.), refd to. [para. 31].

Turbo Resources Ltd. v. Petro Canada Inc. (1989), 91 N.R. 341; 24 C.P.R.(3d) 1 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 33].

Movel Restaurants Ltd. et al. v. E.A.T. At Le Marche Inc. (1994), 89 F.T.R. 72; 59 C.P.R.(3d) 73 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 34].

Equitas Investment Corp. v. Goodman (1987), 57 O.R.(2d) 795 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 34].

Films Rover International Ltd. v. Cannon Film Sales Ltd., [1987] 1 W.L.R. 670 (Ch. D.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Rust Check Canada Inc. v. Young (1988), 47 C.C.L.T. 279 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Greers Ltd. v. Pearman & Corder Ltd. (1922), 39 R.P.C. 406 (C.A.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Enterprise Car and Truck Rentals Ltd. v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co. et al. (1996), 109 F.T.R. 185; 66 C.P.R.(3d) 453 (T.D.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Steinberg Inc. v. J.L. Duval Ltée (1992), 58 F.T.R. 156; 44 C.P.R.(3d) 417 (T.D.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Castrol Ltd. v. Automotive Oil Supplies Ltd., [1983] R.P.C. 315 (Ch.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Clairol International Corp. v. Thomas Supply and Equipment Co. (1968), 38 Fox Pat. C. 176 (Ex.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Source Perrier (S.A.) v. Fira-Less Marketing Co. (1983), 70 C.P.R.(2d) 61 (F.C.T.D.), refd to. [Schedule A].

R. v. Nova Scotia Pharmaceutical Society (No. 2), [1992] 2 S.C.R. 606; 139 N.R. 241; 114 N.S.R.(2d) 91; 313 A.P.R. 91; 74 C.C.C.(3d) 289; 43 C.P.R.(3d) 1, refd to. [Schedule A].

Ceminchuk v. IBM Canada Ltd. (1995), 101 F.T.R. 38; 62 C.P.R.(3d) 546 (T.D.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Pindoff Record Sales Ltd. v. CBS Music Products Inc. (1989), 44 C.P.C.(2d) 308 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Nature Co. v. Sci-Tech Educational Inc. (1992), 141 N.R. 363; 41 C.P.R.(3d) 359 (F.C.A.), refd to. [Schedule A].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Fleming, John G., The Law of Torts (8th Ed. 1992), generally [Schedule A]; pp. 690, 697 [para. 16].

Musgrove, J.B., Civil Actions and the Competition Act (1994), 16 Adv. Q. 94, generally [Schedule A].

Richard, H.B., Canadian Trademarks Act Annotated (Rev. Ed. 1991)(Supp.), generally [Schedule A].

Sharpe, Robert J., Injunctions and Specific Performance (2nd Ed.) (1995 Looseleaf Supp.), generally [Schedule A]; p. 2-33, s. 2.550 [para. 38].

Counsel:

Amalia M. Trister, Stephen M. Turk, Ed Morgan and Roger Hart, for the plaintiff, moving party;

R. Scott Jolliffe, Christopher J. Pibus and Andrew M. Shaughnessy, for the defendants, Coca-Cola Ltd. and Coca-Cola Bottling Ltd., respondents and cross-moving parties;

Risa M. Kirshblum, for Costco Wholesale Corporation and Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., defendants/respondents, holding a watching brief.

These motions were heard on August 2, 1996, before Gotlib, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division) who released the following judgment on May 2, 1997.