Glen O'Brien Movable Partition Co. v. Commissioner

70 T.C. 492, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 95
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 28, 1978
DocketDocket No. 5508-75
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 70 T.C. 492 (Glen O'Brien Movable Partition Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Glen O'Brien Movable Partition Co. v. Commissioner, 70 T.C. 492, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 95 (tax 1978).

Opinion

Forrester, Judge:

Respondent has determined a deficiency in petitioner’s Federal income tax for its fiscal year ended July 31, 1971, in the amount of $4,115.44. Concessions having been made, the only issue remaining for our decision is whether a $25,000 payment made to petitioner by a foreign corporation was paid for the transfer of petitioner’s Japanese patent rights and other property and, if so, whether such transfer constituted a sale so that such amount, less sales expenses, should be treated as capital gains.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.

Petitioner Glen O’Brien Movable Partition Co., Inc. (petitioner), is a corporation formed and existing under the laws of the State of Missouri. Petitioner’s principal place of business was in Kansas City, Mo., at the time the petition was filed herein. Petitioner’s United States corporation income tax return for the taxable year ended July 31, 1971, was filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center at Kansas City, Mo.

Petitioner is and has been engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling partition systems for subdividing space into smaller usable spaces. Petitioner has in the past applied for and secured patents for components of its partition systems.

During 1969 and 1970, petitioner entered into negotiations with Yawata Econ Steel Co. (Yawata), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Japan, with a view towards allowing Yawata to manufacture and sell in Japan all of the types of partitions designed by petitioner. Yawata wanted petitioner’s Japanese patent rights and its know-how to manufacture and sell the partition systems in Japan. As a result of these negotiations, petitioner entered into a contract with Yawata entitled “Technical Services Agreement” (agreement) which was signed by petitioner’s representatives on April 22, 1970, and by Yawata’s representatives on April 28, 1970. Such agreement reads in part as follows:

Whereas, Yawata proposes to engage in the business of the processing, fabrication, manufacture and sale of aluminum frames for movable partitions and aluminum parts and accessories, the same or similar to those manufactured by O’Brien, consisting of, without being limited to, “Quick Change” ® Partition Systems No. 175 and No, 275 and which are hereinafter referred to as “PRODUCT”, and desires the aid and advisory services of O’Brien in various aspects of planning, training, research and the continuing operations of the business as set forth on the following pages, and O’Brien is desirous of supplying such aid and advisory services.
**#*#**
Article 2. Proposal of Techniques.
(1) As to O’Brien.
(A) During the term of this Agreement, O’Brien will furnish to Yawata all such engineering, research data and other data relating to the production of “PRODUCT”, making available to Yawata, upon request, information or advice pertaining to:
(a) Functions of Engineering, all necessary engineering pertaining to “PRODUCT” including:
(i) Techniques related to designs of aluminum frames, accessories, hardware, filling materials, etc.
(ii) Techniques related to designs for joint portion between panels and frames.
(iii) Techniques related to designs concerning airtightness, sound proof and fire-prevention for partitions.
(iv) Advices related to testing methods and equipment for the above (iii).
(v) Techniques related to installation of partitions.
(vi) Information data to indicate actual status of various regulations, laws and criterion concerning fire-prevention in the United States of America.
(vii) All other techniques and data relating to “PRODUCT”.
(b) Functions of Manufacturing, including maintenance of production and shipping schedules, maintenance of plants and manufacturing equipment, study of methods for modernization and development of new and improved manufacturing facilities, investigation of new and improved methods of packaging “PRODUCT”, engineering matters, development of methods for reduction in the cost of “PRODUCT” to the greatest extent consistent with the maintenance of quality.
(c) Raw Material, such services consisting of advising as to the type and quantity of raw materials required.
(B)(a) All information, of whatever nature it may be, which is possessed by O’Brien will be furnished to Yawata.
(b) When O’Brien develops any new technique connected with this Agreement and within the term of this Agreement, including any item that cannot be drawn or placed in written form or further assistance to the development of the same, O’Brien will, upon request, submit it to Yawata without additional charge to those provided herein.
(c) O’Brien shall be obligated during the term of this Agreement, to voluntarily supply Yawata with all new developments, modifications and any other information pertaining to “PRODUCT” and that may be of aid to Yawata.
(d) O’Brien agrees to permit Yawata to apply for patents in Japan in its own name on all patents now issued to or which may be hereafter issued to O’Brien during the term of this Agreement and Yawata agrees to permit O’Brien to apply for patents in the United States in its own name on all patents issued to it covering all developments on the “PRODUCT”.
(2) As to Yawata.
(a) Yawata agrees to furnish to O’Brien, without the payment of any license fee, all such engineering, research data and other data as it shall develop during the term of this Agreement relating to the production of “PRODUCT”, making same available to O’Brien upon request therefor.
(b) Yawata will hold in confidence and will not disclose to other parties except its own subsidiaries any of the technical advice, development, improvements and engineering research, statistical and other data and information that it has or will have obtained from O’Brien or its employees.
Article 3. Exclusiveness and Territory.
O’Brien for the duration of this Agreement, hereby grants to Yawata, which accepts, the exclusive right to manufacture and sell “PRODUCT” in Japan without the right to permit others to do so except its own subsidiaries, it being understood that O’Brien shall not reserve the right to manufacture and sell “PRODUCT” in Japan.
Yawata is also granted the non-exclusive right to sell and assemble “PRODUCT” to and in other countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania, including, but not limited to Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
Article 4. Purchase of Machinery, Equipment and Parts.

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Glen O'Brien Movable Partition Co. v. Commissioner
70 T.C. 492 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
70 T.C. 492, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glen-obrien-movable-partition-co-v-commissioner-tax-1978.