Motor racing legend turned tyre businessman Bob Jane has been fined for ignoring a court order that he no longer trade under his famous surname.
In the latest chapter in the bitter Jane family rivalry, Bob Jane has been found guilty of contempt after he registered a company called Bob Jane T Marts in January.
He was also found guilty of failing to surrender domain names and marketing material from other companies he is the director of.
Two of his companies, Bob Jane Southern Motors and Bob Jane Global Tyre Corporation, were also found guilty of contempt for ignoring, for three months, a court order to remove the moniker "Jane" from their names.
The contempt charges were brought by the company founded by Jane but now headed by his son Rodney, Bob Jane Corporation. The Bob Jane Corporation trades as Bob Jane T-Marts.
Jane, now in his mid-80s, last year lost a Supreme Court battle with his son to have nearly $3 million he says he loaned to the Bob Jane Corporation repaid.
In November, Jane and his companies were ordered by the Federal Court to cease trading under the name "Jane" or anything "substantially identical or deceptively similar".
Bob Jane Southern Motors and Bob Jane Global Tyre Corporation were ordered to change their names and surrender advertising and marketing merchandise containing anything similar to the trade-marked "Jane" materials.
After registering the company name Bob Jane T Marts in January, Jane wrote to a NSW Bob Jane T-Marts franchise operator declaring his intention to recover the Bob Jane business.
"Bob Jane T Marts has not been protected by company registration for some 11 years, from 2003, so it is now owned by Bob Jane and alive again," Jane wrote.
"This is step number one of my strategy for recovery of the Bob Jane business."
Jane has been fined $40,000 for ignoring the Federal Court orders.
His companies were handed fines totalling $63,000 in the Federal Court judgment handed down on Thursday.
Judge Anthony Besanko said there would be further financial penalties if Jane and his companies did not comply.
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