Simplex Electric Heating Co. v. Gold Car Heating & Lighting Co.
Simplex Electric Heating Co. v. Gold Car Heating & Lighting Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court:
Thus it will be observed that the product of appellant is within the same general class as that of appellee. “The intent of the statute is to protect the rightful owners of trademarks in their valuable property rights; and it seems to tax the courts to the utmost to protect those rights against the ingenuity of counsel and the designs of sharp competitors. A mark should be denied not only when used upon goods of the same descriptive properties as a similar registered mark, but when used on goods belonging to the same general class.33 Walter Baker &
It is no excuse that appellee’s officers testified that they were not aware that appellant applied the mark to steam heaters. They conceded they knew of the existence of appellant company. In fact, they were competitors to the extent of both having-furnished car-heating systems for the New Haven .Railroad Company. Appellee knew of the general use of the mark by
The case here presents no great difficulty. Appellee is using the mark in question upon an appliance which belongs to a class in use by -appellant. The general system of appellee, to which the appliance belongs, possesses the same descriptive properties of the system which bears the mark of appellant. That such a condition would in all probability lead to confusion in trade is evident. A situation therefore exists which is forbidden by the statute.
Inasmuch as the objection to the use of the distinguishing part of appellant’s corporate name was .not set out in the notice of opposition, it must be deemed to have been waived. See opinion of this court in Rookwood Pottery Co. v. A. Wilhelm Co. ante, 1, filed this date.
The decision of the Commissioner of Patents is reversed, and the clerk is directed to certify these proceedings as by law required. Reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SIMPLEX ELECTRIC HEATING COMPANY v. GOLD CAR HEATING & LIGHTING COMPANY
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Trademarks; Opposition; Registration; Similarity op Goods; Use oe Mark; Corporate Name; Waiver. 1. A thermostatic steam trap used in connection with a steam ear-heating apparatus, and a thermostatically operated relief valve upon an electrically heated hot water boiler are within the same general class, so as to require the denial by the Commissioner of Patents, on opposition, of the registration, for the former, of a word in use as a trademark for the latter. (Citing Walter Balter & Co. v. Harrison, 32 App. D. C. 272.) 2. A mark in use by one person as a general trademark for a general class of goods will not, upon opposition by him, he registered, on the application of another, for goods within that class, which the opposer has not manufactured, or to which he has not directly applied the mark, since one should not, in justice, be permitted, by the adoption and use of another’s mark, to invade his present field, or the domain to which he may legitimately extend the use of his mark. 3. The manufacturer of thermostatically controlled electric heating apparatus may, at any time, manufacture electrically heated steam car-heaters, and extend the use of his general trademark to thermostatic steam traps upon them; and therefore a prior manufacturer of thermostatic steam traps in connection with steam car-heating apparatus will, on the other’s opposition, be denied registration, as a trademark for such traps, of the word already in use by the op-poser as his trademark. 4. Ignorance of a competitor’s application of his trademark to a particular-kind of goods is no excuse for knowingly appropriating the mark for use upon the same general class of goods; and registration will not be granted, on opposition, to the appropriate. (Citing Phoenix Paint & Varnish Co. v. John T. Lewis & Bros. Co. 32 App. D. C. 285.) 5. Objection to the use by another, as a trademark, of the distinguishing part of the opposer’s corporate name, is waived by failure to set out the objection in the notice of opposition. (Citing Rookwood Pottery Co. v. A. Wilhelm, Co. ante, 1.)