John O. Butler Co. v. Block Drug Co., Inc.

620 F. Supp. 771, 226 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 855, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21956
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMarch 8, 1985
Docket81 C 4064
StatusPublished

This text of 620 F. Supp. 771 (John O. Butler Co. v. Block Drug Co., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John O. Butler Co. v. Block Drug Co., Inc., 620 F. Supp. 771, 226 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 855, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21956 (N.D. Ill. 1985).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

PLUNKETT, District Judge.

I. Nature of the Action and the Parties

Plaintiff, John 0. Butler Company, is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at 4635 West Foster Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630. Butler is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of oral hygiene and dental products.

Defendant, Block Drug Company, Inc., is a New Jersey corporation, doing business in this district and located at 105 Academy Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, 07302. Block is also engaged in the business of manufacturing, distributing and selling denture, dental care, oral hygiene and professional dental products.

The controversy before this court involves sale of an interproximal cleaning device by Block in direct competition with Butler. An interproximal device is used for cleaning interproximal areas of the teeth (i.e., areas between adjoining teeth) which cannot be cleaned properly with a conventional toothbrush or dental floss.

Count I of the Second Amended Complaint charges Block with willful infringement of Butler’s PROXABRUSH trademark, false designation of origin, false description or representation as to Block’s goods, unfair and deceptive trade practices, injury to business reputation, dilution, misappropriation, consumer fraud and deceptive business practices, and unfair competition resulting from Block’s use, advertising and sale of an interdental or interproximal toothbrush under the mark PYCOPROX. Counts II and III of the Second Amended Complaint charge Block with infringement of two design patents, namely, U.S. Patent No. Des. 262,236, entitled “Holder for In-terproximal Brushes” (PX 70A, DX 9), and U.S. Patent No. Des. 262,316, entitled “Holder (Without Sleeve) for Interproximal Brushes” (PX 70C, DX 8). Butler seeks to enjoin Block from continuing the alleged improper conduct and further seeks an accounting for damages and an award of punitive damages, costs, and attorney’s fees. This court has jurisdiction by virtue of Title 15 U.S.C. §§ 1114(1), 1121 and 1125(a); and Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332 and 1338(a). The court also has jurisdiction over the pendent claims arising under state law pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1338(b). The matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Venue lies in this district by virtue of Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 1391(b) and (c) and § 1400(b).

Block has denied Butler’s charges. It has affirmatively pleaded and counter *773 claimed (First and Second Counterclaims) that Butler’s design patent Nos. Des. 262,-236 and 262,316 are invalid, unenforceable, and not infringed. By its Third Counterclaim, Block seeks a declaration of invalidity, unenforceability and non-infringement of a third design patent owned by Butler, i.e., U.S. No. Des. 262,316, entitled “Holder (With Sleeve) for Interproximal Brushes” (PX 70B, DX 7). Block further seeks an award of its costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees in this action and an injunction against Butler’s assertion of U.S. Patent Nos. Des. 262,236; 262,315 and 252,316.

II. Plaintiffs Patent in Suit

Butler is the owner by assignment from the named inventors, E.B. Tarrson, Steven Tisma and Robert Staubitz, of all rights in, to and under United States Patent Des. 262,236, entitled “Holder for Interproximal Brushes,” which was filed on March 5, 1979 and issued on December 8, 1981 (PX 70A, DX 9). The patent claims: “The ornamental design for a holder for interproxi-mal brushes, as shown.” This patent relates specifically to the plastic PROXA-BRUSH handle design marketed by Butler. *

III. The Development of Butler’s PROXABRUSH Product

Butler’s first PROXABRUSH interdental toothbrush had a metal handle (PX 120 [PX 213]), which was developed and marketed in the latter part of 1967, and is the subject of U.S. Patent No. 3,559,226 (PX 346E). The handle was designed so that the twisted wire brushes could be replaced on the handle after they became worn. This metal handle also had an aperture in the head for holding a toothpick in place of a twisted wire brush.

Since about 1968, Butler has marketed a metal interdental toothbrush holder under the trademark PROXABRUSH (Trial Tr. 155 [Tarrson]). Butler also sells a series of replaceable twisted wire brushes under its PROXABRUSH trademark (PX 479, PX 480, PX 481, PX 482). The refill brushes are sold by Butler in four different sizes, under Butler product code Nos. 612, 614, 618 and 620. The # 614 tapered brush is the most popular. As a brush wears out, a customer purchases refill brushes and inserts them, as required, in the metal or plastic handles.

In about 1973, Butler began working on the development of a new plastic interden-tal handle. In 1977, Butler retained an industrial designer to create the new plastic interdental handle (Trial Tr. 157-158 [Tarrson]; Staubitz, p. 19). This plastic interdental toothbrush handle is sold under the mark PROXABRUSH, employs the same twisted wire brushes that are used with the metal handle, and has a hole at the end opposite the wire brush end for insertion of a wooden toothpick. Similar to the metal handle, the plastic handle permits the replacement of worn twisted wire brushes.

The plastic interdental toothbrush handle was invented by E.B. Tarrson, Steven Tis-ma and Robert Staubitz, and the design patent in suit was thus filed in their names. An object of Butler’s efforts was to design a reusable plastic holder that was less expensive than the PROXABRUSH metal handle and aesthetically appealing (Trial Tr. 157 [Tarrson]).

During the development of Butler’s plastic interdental brush holder, various drawings were prepared of proposed designs which, among other things, included different sizes and angles for the ends of the handle (Staubitz, pp. 17-45). Butler started with a design that would give some aesthetic look from a design standpoint (Tarrson, p. 129). The inventors, Tarrson, Tisma and Staubitz, had several meetings at which they discussed various ideas and prepared sketches for the new plastic PROXABRUSH handle, including whether *774 to make it straight or bent, how thick the handle should be and how to attach the brush to the handle. Prototypes were made to evaluate the aesthetic features of the proposed handle (Trial Tr. 157-162 [Tarrson]).

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620 F. Supp. 771, 226 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 855, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-o-butler-co-v-block-drug-co-inc-ilnd-1985.