Barton Manufacturing Co. v. Hercules Powder Co.

88 F.2d 708, 24 C.C.P.A. 982, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 69
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMarch 22, 1937
DocketNo. 3760
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 88 F.2d 708 (Barton Manufacturing Co. v. Hercules Powder Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barton Manufacturing Co. v. Hercules Powder Co., 88 F.2d 708, 24 C.C.P.A. 982, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 69 (ccpa 1937).

Opinion

Grai-iam, Presiding Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Paper Makers Chemical Corporation, a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, filed its application in the United States Patent Office for registration of a trade-mark •consisting of the word “Dishine,” superimposed upon a representation of a stack of dishes, used as a trade-mark in connection with the sale of “a cleaning compound for dishes, crockery, glassware, -cooking utensils, and the like.” Barton Manufacturing Company, the appellant, filed a notice of opposition to said registration, relying largely upon a registration of its trade-mark “Dyanshine,” which mark was registered on June 1, 1920, for a mark used in connection with the sale of a “polish for leather goods, such as shoes, suitcases, ■etc.”

On November 2, 1936, Paper Makers Chemical Corporation assigned its right, title, and interest, in and to the said trade-mark [983]*983“Dishine,” together with the good will of its business to the appellee, Hercules Powder Company, and the necessary substitution of parties was made, by leave of this court, on December 8, 1936.

The applicant, as shown by the evidence, was engaged in the manufacture of a line of heavy chemicals consumed by the paper industry, and on or about September 30, 1931, began to sell a product described under the name of “Dishine.” This material was “a modified soda consisting of mainly tri-sodium phosphate, with small additions of soda ash, soap.” This was manufactured and sold for washing dishes, including glassware and bottles, such as beverage bottles. Its main use, as shown by the testimony, is in washing dishes, and it was put on the market to be used in automatic dish washing machines. As so used, it is dissolved in water and added to the dishes in a dish washing machine or receptacle. It is shown to be a cleaner and water softener, and is entirely soluble in water. The maker sells it principally to jobbers who, in turn, sell to institutional supply houses, hotels, and restaurants, the bulk of sales being to the jobbers.

As sold, it is put up in wooden barrels, holding approximately 325 pounds, net weight, but some is packed in half barrels, 150-pound steel drums, 40-pound kegs, and 25-pound galvanized pails. The pails are the smallest packages which have been produced up to this time. Upon these various packages two kinds of labels are used. One of these labels consists of an orange-colored strip upon which appears, in large black letters, the word “Dishine” in connection with “Paper Makers Chemical Corp., Kalamazoo, Mich.,” and a seal-like mark, consisting of a white circle with a dark center and the words “Superior PMC Chemicals.” Another style of label is a circular stencil bearing the words “Paper Makers Chemical Corp. Dishine 347-22-325 Milwaukee, Wis.,” with a seal bearing the words, “Superior PMC Chemicals.”

The evidence shows that the mark shown in connection with the application for registration is not commercially used, the illustration of the stack of dishes being omitted in the mark used in the trade. The applicant also publishes a pamphlet which is circulated, and a copy of which is in evidence as applicant’s Exhibit 1, in which appear statements as to the use of its product, among the statements made on said exhibit being the following: “Dishine for cleaning and deodorizing glassware, dishes, silverware, cooking utensils,” “Purpose : Manufactured especially for cleaning, deodorizing, and polishing dishes, silverware, and utensils. A splendid silverware polish— safe and convenient,” and, “3. Detarnishes silverware instantly.”

On the part of the opposer, it is shown that in 1917 Warren D. Barton invented a preparation for the cleaning and polishing of [984]*984leathers, which he named “Dyanshine.” There was a great demand during the period of the World War for a cleaner and polisher of leather equipment used by the army, and Barton was called upon to sell, for use of the troops at Camp McArthur, at Waco, Texas, a very large amount of his polish, and during the period of the war the sales of this product became very large, especially for military pur£)oses. From that time until the present, the product has been extensively sold, the sales extending into every State of the Union, as well as into many foreign countries. Approximately 40,000,000 bottles of the product had been sold at the time of the taking of the testimony herein, which amounted to a sale in excess of $15,000,000. The trade-mark has been and is applied to various kinds of shoe polish, the colors being black, nut brown, cordovan, oxblood, neutral, light tan, black suede cleaner, white canvas cleaner, white kid cleaner, and to another product called boot oil. Extensive advertising has been carried on in 12 or 15 magazines, and in approximately 3500 newspapers, the cost of such advertising being in excess of $1,250,000. The mark “Dyanshine” was registered in the United States Patent Office on June 1, 1920. The use of the name has been continued until the present time. The record also shows that quite frequently letters are received by Barton Manufacturing Company in which the company is named as “Dishine,” and “Dieshine” and “Dyeshine.”

The Examiner of Interferences was of opinion that the opposition should be dismissed and that registration should be allowed, stating, in part:

Considering the differences in the marks and the characteristics of the goods the examiner is clearly persuaded that they can be honestly used in trade and it must be here presumed that they are so used.

Appeal was taken to the Commissioner of Patents. The first assistant commissioner considered the matter and was not in har-monjr with the views expressed by the Examiner of Interferences as. to the similarity of the marks, holding, in part, “I am compelled to the view announced in the beginning that the marks are confusingly similar.”

The assistant commissioner, however, was of the opinion that the goods were not of the same descriptive properties, and, therefore, affirmed the decision of the Examiner of Interferences dismissing the notice of opposition. From that decision the appellant-has prayed an appeal to this court.

We agree with the opinion of the assistant commissioner that the trade-marks here involved are of such a character as to be likely to cause confusion in the mind of the public as to the origin of the-goods involved in this proceeding. The words “Dyanshine” and “Dishine” are so nearly alike in appearance and sound as to be confusingly similar. It is contended by the appellant that its mark. [985]*985'“Dishine” should be pronounced as if it were spelled “Dish-shine” and that this is explained by the reference to its use mainly as an aid in the washing of dishes. It is testified by Mr. Lawrence, of the applicant company, that the name is always pronounced as if spelled with the first i short and the second i long. This, however, is not conclusive as to the impression that the name would create upon the mind of the ordinary purchaser of the product. It might well be pronounced, giving the first i a long sound and the last i a long sound. The words look alike, they are spelled very nearly alike, begin with the same letter, and end with the same combination of letters, namely, “shine.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Wincharger Corporation v. Wiancko Engineering Company
301 F.2d 927 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1962)
Hemmeter Cigar Co. v. Congress Cigar Co.
118 F.2d 64 (Sixth Circuit, 1941)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
88 F.2d 708, 24 C.C.P.A. 982, 1937 CCPA LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barton-manufacturing-co-v-hercules-powder-co-ccpa-1937.