Cesare v. Work

520 N.E.2d 586, 36 Ohio App. 3d 26, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10462
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 25, 1987
Docket12718
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 520 N.E.2d 586 (Cesare v. Work) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cesare v. Work, 520 N.E.2d 586, 36 Ohio App. 3d 26, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10462 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

Quillin, P.J.

Three of the four members of the band “Revolver” left and, together with a fourth musician, formed the band “1964.” Both Revolver and 1964 performed exclusively Beatles’ music. Plaintiff, the sole remaining member of Revolver, brought this action pursuant to the Ohio Deceptive Trade Practices Act, R.C. Chapter 4165, alleging that defendants’ use of his registered service mark “Revolver” and the trade dress of his band constituted deceptive trade practices. The trial court found that defendants engaged in deceptive trade practices and granted plaintiff a permanent injunction. Defendants appeal these determinations. The trial court also found that plaintiff had not suffered actual damages. Plaintiff appeals the refusal to award damages and the amount of attorney fees awarded by the court. We affirm.

Plaintiff, Robert D. Cesare, conceived the idea of forming a band that created the illusion of a Beatles’ concert. His idea was to combine the minute detail of the Beatles’ concert appearance with the superior sound the Beatles had achieved in the recording studio rather than merely imitating a live Beatles’ performance. The Beatles played for only twenty-five to thirty minutes and rarely talked on stage. Revolver generally played two *28 forty-five-minute sets and scripted the show with original dialogue, or banter, among the characters. Revolver, unlike the Beatles, used audience participation to give the show a more intimate appeal. Revolver’s song list included songs which were never performed in concert by the Beatles. The Beatles in concert often played shortened versions of songs while Revolver performed versions more closely resembling the album arrangements. Thus, the gist of Cesare’s suit is that when the three defendants left Revolver and began performing a substantially identical act, defendants were imitating Revolver’s act and not that of the Beatles.

Defendants raise several cross-assignments of error concerning the trial court’s finding that defendants engaged in deceptive trade practices. These will be addressed following our review of Cesare’s assignments of error.

Robert Cesare’s Assignment of Error I

“Having found that defendants engaged in a deceptive trade practice and thereby destroyed the plaintiff’s service mark ‘Revolver,’ the court erred in finding, that because plaintiff failed to compete, plaintiff was not entitled to his lost profits, and, the court further erred by failing to consider plaintiff’s actual damages.”

Initially, we note that there is a dearth of case law in Ohio concerning deceptive trade practices. Consequently, where claims are made under Ohio common law and the deceptive trade practices statutes, courts are to apply essentially the same analysis as that applied in assessing unfair competition under the federal statutes. Jewel Companies, Inc. v. Westhall Co. (N.D. Ohio 1976), 413 F. Supp. 994, 999, affirmed (C.A. 6, 1978), 575 F. 2d 1176. We therefore look to federal law for guidance on those issues not clearly addressed by Ohio case law.

R.C. 4165.03 provides, in part: “A person injured by a deceptive trade practice of another may recover actual damages.” R.C. 4165.03 also provides for injunctive relief. Generally, courts grant injunctive relief upon a showing of a “likelihood of confusion.” Carson v. Here’s Johnny Portable Toilets, Inc. (C.A. 6, 1983), 698 F. 2d 831; Frisch’s Restaurants, Inc. v. Elby’s Big Bay of Steubenville, Inc. (C.A. 6, 1982), 670 F. 2d 642; Anheuser-Busch, Inc. v. Florists Assn, of Greater Cleveland, Inc. (N.D. Ohio 1984), 603 F. Supp. 35; cf. Mr. Gasket Co. v. Travis (1973), 35 Ohio App. 2d 65, 64 O.O. 2d 192, 299 N.E. 2d 906. However, in order to award monetary relief, courts generally require “something more,” such as evidence of actual losses suffered by the plaintiff or evidence of actual confusion of some customers. Frisch’s Restaurants, Inc., supra (670 F. 2d), at 647; see, generally, 2 McCarthy, Trademarks and Unfair Competition (2 Ed. 1984) 494, 495-496, Section 30:24 (hereinafter “McCarthy”).

A thorough review of the record in this case supports the trial court’s finding that Cesare is not entitled to any monetary damages. While Cesare successfully demonstrated a “likelihood of confusion” which justified the imposition of equitable relief (addressed below under defendants’ first cross-assignment of error), he presented no evidence of actual confusion of some customers. Cesare presented no evidence that any customers had ever purchased tickets to see 1964, mistakenly believing that they had purchased tickets to see Revolver. Additionally, Cesare presented no evidence that he suffered actual losses in any provable amount. Any harm likely to be caused by defendants’ deceptive acts is adequately remedied by the imposition of the permanent injunction. *29 Under the facts of this case, Cesare has not been “injured” by defendants’ deceptive practices such as to sustain actual damages pursuant to R.C. 4165.03.

Cesare’s first assignment of error is overruled.

Robert Cesare’s Assignment of Error II

“After having found that the defendants knowingly deceived the public by using the plaintiff’s service mark ‘Revolver’ and elements of his trade dress, the court erred in making an award of attorney’s fees based upon an arbitrary assessment.”

R.C. 4165.03 provides, in part:

“The court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees to the prevailing party. * * * Costs for attorneys’ fees may be assessed against a defendant if the court finds that the defendant has willfully engaged in the trade practice knowing it to be deceptive.”

The trial court found that defendants willfully engaged in trade practices knowing them to be deceptive, and awarded Cesare attorney fees in the amount of $1,200.

This court has previously held that the allowance of attorney fees is discretionary — not mandatory. Lozier v. Kline (1973), 40 Ohio App. 2d 277, 284, 69 O.O. 2d 261, 265, 319 N.E. 2d 204, 209. This court has additionally held that in a deceptive trade practices action brought pursuant to R.C. Chapter 4165 the trial court may or may not require the introduction of evidence as to the reasonableness of fees paid, and the appellate court’s review of the award is limited to a search for abuse of discretion. Blankenship v. Williams (Nov. 24, 1976), Summit App. No. 8150, unreported, at 8. In the present case, the record contained sufficient evidence for the court to make an award of reasonable attorney fees. We find no abuse of discretion.

Cesare’s second assignment of error is overruled.

Defendants’ Cross-Assignment of Error “A”

“The trial court erred by entering an injunction in this case because plaintiff failed to present any evidence from which the court could conclude that he is ‘likely to be damaged’ by any activity of the defendants.”

R.C. 4165.03 provides for the imposition of an injunction:

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Bluebook (online)
520 N.E.2d 586, 36 Ohio App. 3d 26, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10462, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cesare-v-work-ohioctapp-1987.