Champion Spark Plug Co. v. Reich
Champion Spark Plug Co. v. Reich
Opinion of the Court
Because of a complete disagreement between counsel on the questions (a) as to the comprehensiveness of the decree, and (b) whether an accounting should be ordered, I find it necessary to prepare, after a review of the authorities, a brief memorandum opinion.
1. The question as to the comprehensiveness of the decree is dependent upon the opinion of the Court of Appeals reported, 8 Cir., 121 F.2d 769.
It follows from the foregoing that the decree submitted by plaintiff is no broader than the intendment of the Court of Appeals and is a proper decree upon the mandate.
2. The plaintiff has asked for the appointment of a master to take an accounting of profits. The defendant earnestly opposes such an appointment upon the ground that an accounting is not proper in this case. Able counsel called my attention to Ammon & Person v. Narragansett Dairy Co., 1 Cir., 262 F. 880. The same case had been reported while in the District Court at 252 F. 276 and 254 F. 208. Aside from the question of innocence in infringing the trade-mark the litigants in that case covered different territory in the sale of the product. The Court of Appeals, 262 F., loc.cit. 884, said:
“So far as damages and profits are concerned, we agree, also, with the District Court that the burden is upon the plaintiff to prove that the defendant has made profits attributable, in whole or in part, to its trade-mark. * * * This burden was not sustained.”
Section 99, Title 15 U.S.C.A. contemplates that when a decree has been rendered in a case of trade-mark infringement “for* wrongful use of a trade-mark the complainant shall be entitled to recover, in addition to the profits to be accounted for by the defendant, the damages the complainant has sustained thereby, and the court shajl assess the same or cause the same to be assessed under its direction.”
The Supreme Court, in Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company v. Wolf Bros. & Co., 240 U.S. 251, loc.cit. 260, 36 S.Ct. 269, loc.cit. 272, 60 L.Ed. 629, held that the rule in such cases “is strictly analogous to that applied in patent cases.” In that opinion the court said that “the right to use a trademark is recognized as a kind of property, of which the owner is entitled to the exclusive enjoyment to the extent that it has been actually used. * * * The infringer is required in equity to account for and yield up his gains to the true owner, upon a principle analogous to that which charges a trustee with the profits acquired by wrongful use of the property of the cestui que trust.”
The Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reached the same conclusion in Kresge v. Champion Spark Plug Co., 3 F.2d 415.
Upon the record in this case the plaintiff is entitled to have an accounting of profits and same will be ordered.
Roy P. Swanson, Esquire, will be appointed as Special Master to hear the matter as by order concurrently filed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CHAMPION SPARK PLUG CO. v. REICH
- Status
- Published