City Messenger of Hollywood, Inc. v. City Bonded Messenger Service, Inc.

254 F.2d 531, 116 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 75
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedJanuary 9, 1958
DocketNo. 12046
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 254 F.2d 531 (City Messenger of Hollywood, Inc. v. City Bonded Messenger Service, Inc.) 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
City Messenger of Hollywood, Inc. v. City Bonded Messenger Service, Inc., 254 F.2d 531, 116 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 75 (7th Cir. 1958).

Opinions

DUFFY, Chief Judge.

Asserting jurisdiction by reason of diversity of citizenship, plaintiff filed a complaint in the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging unfair competition. After answer, certain defendants filed a counterclaim which eventually contained four counts. Each count was filed on a different date.

Count I of the counterclaim filed June 28, 1955, alleged unfair competition. Count II alleged fraud and deceit, and was filed June 28, 1955, but was later withdrawn. Amended Count II also alleged fraud and deceit, and was filed September 27, 1955. Count III was filed August 12, 1955 and alleged an infringement of trade-mark, the registration of which had been issued a few days previous thereto, to wit: on July 26, 1955. The defendant-counterclaimants rested their case on February 7, 1957, and Count IV alleging a breach of contract was filed the following day.

The District Court denied any relief to plaintiff and entered judgment in favor of the defendants on all four counts of the counterclaim. The judgment provided for an injunction restraining plaintiff and its officers and agents from using certain words in its name and advertising. The judgment also provided for an accounting of profits and damages, and a reference was made to a special master for determination of a) defendant-counterclaimants’ damages; b) plaintiff’s profits. The judgment also provided that defendant-counterclaim-ants were entitled to punitive damages and an award of treble profits and damages. The judgment further provided that defendant-counterclaimants were entitled to an award of damages for breach of contract and fraud and deceit, and were also entitled to recover $1,526.-83 in repayment for services rendered and advances made by defendant corporation. There was also a provision that defendant-counterclaimants recover their attorney fees from plaintiff as well as their costs and disbursements.

In view of the award of punitive damages, treble damages and the assessment of attorney fees, it is necessary to analyze each count of the counterclaim to determine the applicable law. For reasons hereinafter stated, we hold that Counts I, II and IV are governed by the applicable law of Illinois; but that a part of Count III does state a federal claim.

Defendant-counterclaimants insist that Count I of the counterclaim asking damages for unfair competition is a federal cause of action governed by the Federal Trade-Mark Act (Lanham Act), 15 U.S.C.A. §§ 1051-1127. Apparently, at the time that Count was prepared and filed, the attorneys for defendant-counterclaimants were not of this view. An examination of the Count shows that it was based expressly upon diversity of citizenship. The first three paragraphs of Count I assert the diversity of citizenship of the parties to this action and that the matter in controversy exceeded, exclusive of interest and costs, the sum of Three Thousand Dollars. Furthermore, Count I was filed before claimants had a registered service mark. Count I expressly alleged an infringement of defendant-counterclaimants’ “common law rights by using * * * a service mark dominated by the word City •x- * We hold that Count I does not assert a federal cause of action.

This Court is committed to the view that the claim set forth in Count I of the counterclaim for damages caused by unfair competition is governed by the law [534]*534of Illinois. Independent Nail & Packing Co., Inc. v. Stronghold Screw Products, Inc., 7 Cir., 205 F.2d 921, 926; Jewel Tea Company, Inc., v. Kraus, 7 Cir., 187 F.2d 278, 282; Radio Shack Corporation v. Radio Shack, Inc., 7 Cir., 180 F.2d 200, 202; Wilhartz v. Turco Products, 7 Cir., 164 F.2d 731, 733. Time, Inc. v. Viobin Corporation, 7 Cir., 128 F.2d 860, 862. We do not think that the Lanham Act changed this rule. We have been cited to no court authorities1 that have held the Lanham Act has changed the rule long established and followed in this Circuit. On the contrary, the contention that the Lanham Act creates an independent ground for federal jurisdiction, and that a claim for damages for unfair competition in the United States between American citizens is governed by the Lanham Act, as argued by defendant-counter-elaimants, has been expressly overruled in American Automobile Association, Inc. v. Spiegel, 2 Cir., 205 F.2d 771, 775; L’Aiglon Apparel, Inc. v. Lana Lobell, Inc., 3 Cir., 214 F.2d 649, 654; Royal Lace Paper Works, Inc. v. Pest-Guard Products, Inc., 5 Cir., 240 F.2d 814, 818. We agree with these decisions.

Counts II and IV of the counterclaim seeking recovery for fraud and deceit and breach of contract, respectively, are common law causes of action. These claims are governed by the law of Illinois.

There is.no basis under Illinois law for the assessment of treble damages or the payment of attorney fees based on claims contained in Counts I, II and IV of the counterclaim. In Patterson v. Northern Trust Company, 286 Ill. 564, 122 N.E. 55, 57, the court said: “At common law costs were never recoverable, and they can be recovered only in cases where there is statutory authority therefor. Any party claiming a judgment for his costs against his adversary must bring himself within the operation of some statutory provision, and courts have no power to adjudge costs against anyone on merely equitable grounds.”

In the later case of Ritter v. Ritter, 381, Ill. 549, 46 N.E.2d 41, 43, the Court said: “The allowance and recovery of costs rests entirely upon statutory provisions and no liability for costs exists in the absence of statutory authorization.” In Trust Company of Chicago v. National Surety Corporation, 7 Cir., 177 F.2d 816, after quoting from Patterson and Ritter, we held that under Illinois law attorney fees could not be assessed against the losing party. See also Danville Building Association of Danville, Ill. v. Gates, D.C., 66 F.Supp. 706. The opinion in that case was written by Judge Lindley, and he stated at page 709: “I think it clear that the inevitable effect of this decision is that a federal court may no longer grant an equitable remedy in a diversity action where that relief is not available in the courts of the state, * * * ”

Disregarding for the moment Count III, we hold that there was no authority in the District Court to assess treble damages or to award attorney fees as to-the claims contained in Counts I, II and IV, and in doing so, the Court committed reversible error.

Count III of the counterclaim was filed August 12, 1955, eleven weeks-after the commencement of the instant, suit, and seventeen days after the date of the registration of defendants’ mark. Paragraph 1 thereof re-alleged paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Count I of the counterclaim.

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254 F.2d 531, 116 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-messenger-of-hollywood-inc-v-city-bonded-messenger-service-inc-ca7-1958.