Ball, Eli --- "Section 92 and the Regulation of E-Commerce: A Casenote on Betfair Pty Ltd v Western Australia" [2008] FedLawRw 11; (2008) 36(2) Federal Law Review 265

^[*] B Com (Accg), LLB (Hons 1) (Macq). The author would like to thank Robynne Croft and Sebastian Hartford-Davis for their input in preparing this piece for publication. All errors are, of course, the author's alone.

^[1] Betfair Pty Ltd v Western Australia [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32 ('Betfair').

^[2] [1988] HCA 18; (1998) 165 CLR 360.

^[3] See generally Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v South Australia [1990] HCA 1; (1990) 169 CLR 436.

^[4] See, eg, Western Australia, Parliamentary Debates, Legislative Assembly, 13 September 2006, 5877-5878 (Mark McGowan MLA); Katherine Jimenez, 'Tabcorp seeks betting exchange ban', The Australian (Sydney), 29 November 2007, 23.

^[5] See, eg, Andrew Darby and Orietta Guerrera, 'Betfair gets foot in door in Australia', The Age (Melbourne), 4 November 2005, 2.

^[6] Report of the Betting Exchange Taskforce Australasian Racing Ministers' Conference Volume 1 (July 2003) 2.

^[7] Betting Control Act 1954 (WA) s 27B(1).

^[8] Betting Control Act 1954 (WA) s 24(1aa).

^[9] Betting Control Act 1954 (WA) s 27D(1)(a)-(b).

^[10] Western Australia Minister for Racing and Gaming Ljiljanna Ravlich, 'Betfair application to publish WA race fields not in the public interest' (Press Release, 11 October 2007).

^[11] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 55 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[12] Ibid.

^[13] Ibid 56 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ), 65, 68 (Heydon J).

^[14] Ibid (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[15] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 37 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[16] Ibid 39. (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and KeifelKiefel JJ).

^[17] Cole v Whitfield [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360, 383-4 (The Court).

^[18] See, eg, Fox v Robbins [1909] HCA 81; (1909) 8 CLR 115. Cf Commonwealth v Bank of New South Wales [1949] HCA 47; (1949) 79 CLR 497.

^[19] Tony Blackshield and George Williams, Australian Constitutional Law and Theory (3^rd ed, 2002) 1037. Professors Blackshield and Williams suggest that a convenient way to appreciate the caselaw prior to Cole v Whitfield is by reference to 'three dominant individuals': Sir Isaac Isaacs, Sir Owen Dixon and Sir Garfield Barwick.

^[20] Cole v Whitfield [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360, 385 (The Court).

^[21] Ibid 393.

^[22] Ibid 399.

^[23] Ibid 408.

^[24] See, eg, Commonwealth v Bank of New South Wales [1949] HCA 47; (1949) 79 CLR 497, 635 (Lord Porter); McCarter v Brodie [1950] HCA 18; (1950) 80 CLR 432, 465 (Dixon J); North Eastern Dairy Co Ltd v Dairy Industry Authority of NSW [1975] HCA 45; (1975) 134 CLR 559, 582 (Barwick CJ).

^[25] Cole v Whitfield [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360, 409 (The Court).

^[26] Castlemaine Tooheys [1990] HCA 1; (1990) 169 CLR 436, 472 (Mason CJ, Brennan, Deane, Dawson and Toohey JJ).

^[27] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 37 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[28] Cole v Whitfield [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360, 385 (The Court).

^[29] (1997) 198 CLR 465.

^[30] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 38, 41 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ) (emphasis added).

^[31] See generally McGinty v Western Australia [1996] HCA 48; (1996) 186 CLR 140.

^[32] Baldwin v G A F Seelig, Inc, [1935] USSC 53; 294 US 511, 523 (1935) (emphasis added). Cited in Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 44 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[33] Guy v Baltimore, [1879] USSC 63; 100 US 434, 439 (1879). Cited in Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 46 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[34] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 62 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ), 64 (Heydon J).

^[35] Ibid 62, 63 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ), 64, 67 (Heydon J).

^[36] Transcript of Proceedings, Betfair Pty Ltd & Anor v State of Western Australia (High Court of Australia, Kirby J, 9 November 2007).

^[37] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 37 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[38] [1936] HCA 32; (1936) 55 CLR 1, 56 (Lord Wright MR).

^[39] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 41 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ). The joint judgment also cited at 48 the opinion of Harlan J to the same effect in Minnesota v Barber [1890] USSC 190; 136 US 313 (1890).

^[40] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 37 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[41] To use the words of Heydon J, the trading activity prohibited and the trading activity protected need not be identical if they can be described as part of the same overall trading activity, that is, part of the same national market: ibid 64.

^[42] Ibid 61 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[43] Ibid 59 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ). Citing Thomas v Mowbray [2007] HCA 33; (2007) 81 ALJR 1414, 1428-9 (Gleeson CJ).

^[44] [1975] HCA 45; (1975) 134 CLR 559, 608. Cited in Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 59 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ). This is further evidence of the proposition advanced by the Court that Cole v Whitfield did not completely sever the continuity of s 92 jurisprudence.

^[45] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 61 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[46] Ibid 64 (Heydon J).

^[47] Jumbunna Coal Mine, No Liability v Victorian Coal Miners' Association (1908) 6 CLR 309, 367-368 (O'Connor J). See also, in the context of s 92, Samuels v Readers' Digest Association Pty Ltd [1969] HCA 6; (1969) 120 CLR 1, 14 (Barwick CJ); North Eastern Dairy Co Ltd v Dairy Industry Authority of NSW [1975] HCA 45; (1975) 134 CLR 559, 615 (Mason J).

^[48] See, eg, Australian National Airways Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [1945] HCA 41; (1945) 71 CLR 29, 89–90 (Dixon J); Commonwealth v Bank of New South Wales [1949] HCA 47; (1949) 79 CLR 497, 632 (Lord Porter).

^[49] See generally Richard A Posner, Antitrust in the New Economy (2001) 68 Antitrust Law Journal 925.

^[50] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 38 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[51] Castlemaine Tooheys [1990] HCA 1; (1990) 169 CLR 436, 472 (Mason CJ, Brennan, Deane, Dawson and Toohey JJ).

^[52] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 57 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[53] Queensland Wire Industries Pty Ltd v Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ltd [1989] HCA 6; (1989) 167 CLR 177, 199 (Dawson J). See also Boral Besser Masonry Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2003] HCA 10; (2003) 215 CLR 374, 454–6 (McHugh J).

^[54] Boral Besser Masonry Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2003] HCA 10; (2003) 215 CLR 374, 456 (McHugh J).

^[55] Betfair [2008] HCA 11; (2008) 244 ALR 32, 36 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[56] Ibid 62 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Crennan and Kiefel JJ).

^[57] See generally Cole v Whitfield [1988] HCA 18; (1988) 165 CLR 360, 398–400, 407-8 (The Court).

^[58] See, eg, Joel R Reidenberg, 'Resolving Conflicting International Data Privacy Rules in Cyberspace' (2000) 52 Stanford Law Review 1315; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Dismantling the Barriers to Global Electronic Commerce, OECD Doc DSTI/ICCP(98) (1998).