Goodyear v. Congress Rubber Co.

10 F. Cas. 674, 3 Blatchf. 449, 1856 U.S. App. LEXIS 549
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedMarch 19, 1856
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 10 F. Cas. 674 (Goodyear v. Congress Rubber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goodyear v. Congress Rubber Co., 10 F. Cas. 674, 3 Blatchf. 449, 1856 U.S. App. LEXIS 549 (circtsdny 1856).

Opinion

INGERSOLL. District Judge.

The- bill shows that the plaintiff was the inventor of “a new and useful improvement in the processes for the manufacture of India-rubber,” which was secured to him by a patent; that, subsequently thereto, he entered into a contract with the defendant Day, under seal, by which he licensed Day to use the improvement patented, for manufacturing shirred or corrugated goods, in consideration of the sum of 810,090, although but $5,000 were actually paid, and also in consideration of a covenant on the part of Day, that, so long as the plaintiff should protect Day in the [675]*675exclusive right to manufacture such shirred goods, Day would not manufacture any other articles of vulcanized rubber except such as were provided for in the covenant, and that Day would pay the plaintiff three cents for •every square yard of shirred goods made'by him; that Day has been protected by the 'plaintiff in the exclusive enjoyment of the privilege of manufacturing shirred goods; that, soon after said covenant was entered into, Day commenced to manufacture and sell India-rubber goods secured by said patent, other than shirr.ed goods, contrary to his covenant; that, thereupon, the plaintiff filed his bill, in the circuit court of the United States in New Jersey, against Day, to restrain him from any further violation of the plaintiff’s rights, as secured by said patent .and by said covenant; that said cause in New Jersey came on to be heard on pleadings and proofs, and that it was therein decreed that an account be taken of the damages which the plaintiff had sustained by reason •of the violations by Day of the plaintiff’s rights, and that he be directed to pay what might be found due to the plaintiff under said covenant, and that Day produce his books and accounts before the master appointed by the court for that purpose, and ■submit himself to a personal examination before the master, touching the matters specified in the decree; that, before the rendition of the decree, and during the pendency •of the suit in New Jersey, Day fraudulently •conveyed away all his property in New Jersey, and that, after the rendition of the decree, he fraudulently conveyed his right acquired by the contract with the plaintiff, to the defendants, the Congress Rubber Company; that, since said fraudulent transfer, the Congress Rubber Company continue to manufacture shirred goods, claiming to have the right which Day acquired by the contract with the plaintiff, and refuse to pay the plaintiff the amount due from Day to him •for the violation of his covenant, or • to account with the plaintiff for the amount due from Day for tariffs under the contract with the plaintiff; that there is due to the plaintiff, in the suit pending in New Jersey, from Day, not less than .$100,000; that he has put all of his property out of his hands fraudulently, and with the intent to defeat the decree obtained by the plaintiff in New Jersey; that the plaintiff has no means to realize said amount, except out of the property fraudulently transferred by Day; and that the Congress Rubber Company, when they took the fraudulent transfer from Day, had full notice of the suit pending in New Jersey, and of the decisions that had been made therein, and of the rights of the respective parties thereto. The bill prays, among other things, that the assignment made by Day to the Congress Rubber Company, of the agreement between the plaintiff and Day, may be decreed to be fraudulent and void as against the plaintiff, and be set aside and annulled as against him, or that the Congress Rubber Company be permitted to retain such agreement only on condition that they pay the amount of the damages which Day owes to the plaintiff for the breach of said covenant, and for the violation of the rights of the plaintiff secured by said patent, and the amount of the tariffs due to the plaintiff under the agreement made between him and Day, and that the Congress Rubber Company and Day be enjoined from parting with, disposing of, incumbering, or in any way using, the right under said agreement granted by the plaintiff to Day, until Day or the Congress Rubber Company shall have accounted with and paid over to the plaintiff the damages due to him for the breach of the said agreement, and the tariffs due under the same.

By the agreement entered into between the plaintiff and Day, by which Day was licensed to manufacture and sell shirred or corrugated goods under the plaintiff's patent, upon the terms therein expressed, and which agreement is made a part of the bill, Day had a right to sell and assign to whom he pleased the rights vested in him by that agreement.

The object contemplated by the bill is, to deprive Day and his assigns, the Congress Rubber Company, of all benefit from the license to manufacture shirred or corrugated goods under the license granted by the plaintiff to Day, unless or until they pay the-' amount of damages which Day owes to the plaintiff for the breach of his covenant and the violation of the plaintiff’s rights, and to be recovered in the suit in New Jersey, and' unless or until they pay the amount of tariffs due to the plaintiff for the manufacture of shirred or corrugated goods under the agreement entered into between the plaintiff and Day, when the plaintiff licensed Day and his assigns to manufacture and sell such goods. The question raised by the demurrer to the bill is, whether the bill is sufficient for this object, either wholly or in part. It appears by the bill, that the subject matter of complaint in the suit in New Jersey was, that Day had manufactured and was manufacturing large quantities of India-rubber goods, which were composed of rubber and sulphur, and white lead and its oxides, and which were completed and finished by the application of a high degree of artificial heat, according to the process patented by the plaintiff, and which were other goods than such goods as, by the license. Day might lawfully make, to the great injury of the plaintiff, and that the plaintiff sought redress in that suit for that injury. It also appears, that it was decided, in that suit, that Day should be permitted to retain his agreement with the plaintiff, and should be bound by its conditions, and that it was ordered that an account be taken of the damages which, the plaintiff had sustained by reason of the violations of his tights by Day, and that Day should pay over whatever might be found duo to the plaintiff [676]*676under said covenant, or for the damages which the plaintiff had sustained by the violation of his patent contrary to the covenant

At a previous term of this court, the plaintiff made a motion for a preliminary injunction, in pursuance of the prayer of the bill.The motion was founded on the bill, and on certain affidavits, and was denied. In disposing of that motion, the court decided certain points, which have a controlling bearing upon the questions presented by the demurrer.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 F. Cas. 674, 3 Blatchf. 449, 1856 U.S. App. LEXIS 549, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goodyear-v-congress-rubber-co-circtsdny-1856.