Aladdin Mfg. Co. v. Mantle Lamp Co. of America

116 F.2d 708, 48 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 268, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4452
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedJanuary 10, 1941
Docket7310
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 116 F.2d 708 (Aladdin Mfg. Co. v. Mantle Lamp Co. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aladdin Mfg. Co. v. Mantle Lamp Co. of America, 116 F.2d 708, 48 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 268, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4452 (7th Cir. 1941).

Opinion

LINDLEY, District Judge.

The Mantle Lamp Company of America, plaintiff, in a counterclaim charging appellee with trade-mark infringement and unfair competition, appeals from a decree of the District Court overruling the report of the master upon accounting and denying to appellant profits and damages, on the ground that no evidence of lost sales or of actual damages had been introduced and decreeing that appellee, defendant in the counterclaim, was not a wilful or flagrant infringer of appellant’s trade-mark.

Tn the original suit appellee filed its complaint alleging infringement of the trade-mark “Aladdin” upon portable electric lamps. Appellant filed its counterclaim, alleging priority in the use of the word “Aladdin” on lamps or any other merchandise similar to that sold by it, and charging appellee with unfair competition. The District Court decreed that appellee was entitled to use the word “Aladdin” on electric portable lamps and that neither party was entitled to an accounting. Both parties appealed, and this court, in Mantle Lamp Company of America v. Aladdin Mfg. Co., 7 Cir., 78 F.2d 426, found that appellant was entitled to the exclusive use of the word “Aladdin” as to all goods manufactured by it, that appellee had infringed, was guilty of unfair competition and should be enjoined from using the word “Aladdin” in connection with its business of manufacturing and selling portable electric lamps and that the alleged estoppel arising from laches and acquiescence urged by appellee was not sustained.

From the decree entered by the District Court in pursuance of our mandate, another appeal was prosecuted, which resulted in our decision, in Aladdin Mfg. Co. v. Mantle Lamp Company of America, 7 Cir., 86 F.2d 141, that the decree should include an accounting for profits and damages, and that appellant should be allowed to offer any evidence which would justify the allowance of exemplary and compensatory damages and appellee to introduce any evidence which would tend to *712 establish laches, estoppel or other defense which might bar or mitigate recovery of damages. Following these adjudications, a reference to the master resulted in findings and conclusions recommending the recovery of profits and damages, which were disapproved by the court.

Appellant insists that inasmuch as this court has previously held that appellant was not guilty of laches, the renewal of assertion of such guilt defeats the prior adjudication. It points to the record in the earlier litigation as decisive of that question. On the original appeal the issue was fully briefed and argued in this court, and in the course of our opinion we said “we find nothing in this record which discloses such an acquiescence by appellant in the use of the trade-mark ‘Aladdin’ * * * as wjji bar it from asserting the rights for which it here contends.” [78 F.2d 429.] Appellee filed a petition for rehearing and therein again urged laches and acquiescence. Rehearing was denied and appellee thereupon filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, once more urging the same issue. Certiorari was denied. 296 U.S. 639, 56 S.Ct. 173, 80 L.Ed. 454. Thus is has been decided by us in at least two instances that there was no such estoppel by way of laches or acquiescence as would prevent appellant from securing an injunction against the continued infringement of its trade-mark. True, upon the second appeal, when we directed an accounting and provided that appellant might introduce evidence in support of its prayer for exemplary and compensatory damages, we also, obviously in an attempt to prevent any inequitable result, provided that appellee might offer any evidence that might mitigate or defeat the .application for profits and damages. But at the hearing before the master, appellee offered no new or additional evidence in support of its insistence of estoppel by way of laches but relied solely upon the record previously presented upon which this court had previously held that no estoppel existed. Appellant insists, therefore, that it is too late for appellee to insist that the defense which it has asserted previously can upon the same evidence be renewed successfully and that the prior decision is res adjudicata upon this issue.

The decree previously entered was interlocutory in character. • We assume, therefore, that all matters determined therein might under proper circumstances be relitigated until final decree. Undoubtedly courts possess discretion to permit renewal of applications to modify rulings made or orders entered in the course of litigation at any time before final disposition. Whether a second application 'shall be entertained depends entirely upon the circumstances of the' cause. Courts have power to prevent vexatious and repeated pleadings upon the same point and exercise their discretion to preclude reagitation of the same question on the same, state of facts. Consequently upon an application for re-examination, whether it be by way of motion for new trial, petition for rehearing or in other form, before the court will act affirmatively, some equitable ground for re-examination must be presented. 'And, ordinarily, where, no new evidence is offered or if new evidence is offered and lack of diligence in procuring it exists, the application will be denied. We find in the present record nothing that appeals to us as justifying re-examination of a question which, upon the same evidence, we have decided and an application for rehearing of which we have denied.

Under 15 U.S.C.A. Section 99 and Section 96, in an accounting for profits from infringement of a trade-mark, appellant was required to prove appellee’s sales only and the latter was under obligation to prove all elements of costs which it claimed. Duro Co. v. Duro Co., 3 Cir., 56 F.2d 313 at page 315. Appellant proved gross sales from all sources of $4,126,025.-52. From, this there were admittedly proper deductions of $3,709,083.20, leaving-a balance with which we are concerned of $416,942.32. The master allowed deductions therefrom as follows: salaries $106,-000; cost accounting system $4,670; advertising $193,787.67; depreciation $45,-027.95; Aladdin’s Fellow advertising campaign $1,304.11; income tax $4,133.07, leaving a balance of profit of $62,019.52. In a supplemental report he deducted therefrom in addition, Durham royalties $3,150.-41 and corrected an error of $2,243.03, leaving a balance of profit $56,626.08. The correctness of his methods is not disputed, but each party questions the propriety of certain of his items of debit and credit.

The Durham royalties arose from appellee’s license to manufacture smoking trays. The master originally concluded that in view of appellee’s advertising of “Aladdin smoking stands” and “Aladdin’s *713 smoking trays,” it had failed to meet the burden of showing that this item was not within profits for which it should account. In his supplemental report, however, after objection by the Aladdin Company and re-examination of certain portions of the record, he concluded that the objection should be sustained and the amount recommended in his original report be reduced by the amount of the royalties. Upon examination of the record, we agree with the master in this respect and sustain the deduction.

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Bluebook (online)
116 F.2d 708, 48 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 268, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4452, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aladdin-mfg-co-v-mantle-lamp-co-of-america-ca7-1941.