A legal battle between a clinic and one of its former doctors is forcing a judge to answer a long-asked question: who really owns the doctor’s medical records.

The clinic is suing cardiologist Dr Nima Rudd for accessing its records system in the days and weeks after he left the practice. 

It alleges he was attempting to collect the contact details of the patients he treated so he could promote his new rival clinic.

Dr Rudd denies claims of any wrong-doing.