Kaplan v. United States

153 F. Supp. 787, 139 Ct. Cl. 682, 114 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 248, 1957 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 117
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 12, 1957
Docket526-56
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 153 F. Supp. 787 (Kaplan v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kaplan v. United States, 153 F. Supp. 787, 139 Ct. Cl. 682, 114 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 248, 1957 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 117 (cc 1957).

Opinion

LARAMORE, Judge.

This suit comes before us on defendant’s motion to dismiss counts I, II, and part of count III of plaintiff’s petition on the ground that the allegations contained therein fail to set forth a cause of action over which this court has jurisdiction.

In order to simplify the disposition of defendant’s motion, we will treat each count separately to determine whether a cause of action has been alleged therein.

Count I of the petition is a claim for the sum of $27,000 alleged to be due the plaintiff for services rendered to the defendant. In support of this claim, the petition alleges that the plaintiff, an inventor, developed a new and improved type of sleeping bag for use by the Armed Forces. Plaintiff applied for and was granted a patent on the article. Believing that the United States Army would be interested in his discovery, plaintiff called upon Gen. William H. Middleswart who was in charge of the Research and Development Division of the Quartermaster Corps, U. S. Army. Plaintiff demonstrated to the general and his staff the sleeping bag and was asked to work with the Government in the testing and developing of materials which could be used in the fabrication of the bags. The count then alleges “that the plaintiff was then and later informed that, for his design and for his efforts and time in working with the Government officials and when the Government would procure quantities of the product as designed by the plaintiff for use by the Armed Forces, he would be compensated.” Further allegations of the count claim that the plaintiff was promised a contract for the fabrication of the bags.

Plaintiff alleges facts tending to show his participation and aid in preparing specifications to be used in fabrication of the bags in accordance with an alleged understanding he had with the Govern *788 ment. Plaintiff says that the bags were produced through his efforts, that he did not receive the promised contract, and that he never has been compensated for the services he performed with respect to testing and drawing up of specifications for their manufacture. Plaintiff invokes the jurisdiction of this court under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1491 (Supp. III, 1952 Ed.), which provides in pertinent part:

“The Court of Claims shall have jurisdiction- to render judgment upon any claim against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, or any Act of Congress, or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied contract with the United States, or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort.”

It is clear from reading count I of plaintiff’s petition that his only basis for invoking this court’s jurisdiction under section 1491, supra, is a claim founded upon an express or implied contract with the United States. This being so, defendant contends' that plaintiff has failed to allege necessary facts to support such a claim. In support of this contention, defendant points to the fact that plaintiff has failed to allege that any one with authority to bind the Government agreed to compensate plaintiff for any services he may have rendered. We agree that it is a necessary element of any claim founded upon a contract with the Government, either express or implied, that facts sufficient to show authority to bind the Government contractually should be alleged. Fulmer v. United States, 77 F.Supp 927, 111 Ct.Cl. 591; Gearon v. United States, 126 Ct.Cl. 548. This we think plaintiff has failed to do when he merely alleges negotiations with a general officer and his staff. Standing alone, such an allegation does not give rise to a contractual relationship with the Government. Even if such facts are conceded to be true, as they must be for the purposes of a motion to dismiss, no judgment could be rendered by this court thereon. Reading the allegations contained in count I of plaintiff’s petition in the light most favorable to him, it is not even clear who made a promise to compensate the plaintiff for services rendered and what the nature and amount of such compensation would be. In our opinion count I of the petition is insufficient to give rise to a cause of action upon an express or implied contract with the Government and must therefore be dismissed.

Count II alleges that plaintiff owned patents on the sleeping bags and that the defendant, by disclosure of the patented article to certain United States manufacturers, violated his rights in the patented article for which he is entitled, under the Mutual Security Acts of 1951 and 1954, 65 Stat. 373 and 68 Stat. 832, respectively, 22 U.S.C.A., § 1750 et seq., to sue the Government for damages. Plaintiff alleges that the sleeping bags were manufactured under contracts with the Government and that they were “packed for overseas shipment and use by friendly nations within the language, meaning, and content of the Mutual Security Acts, and by said friendly nations used for the purposes set forth in said Mutual Security Acts.” By this allegation plaintiff attempts to invoke the jurisdiction of this court under section 517 of the 1951 Act, supra at 382, and section 506 of the 1954 Act, supra at 852, 22 U.S.C.A. § 1758. These two sections are almost identical to each other so that only section 506 of the 1954 Act will be quoted and referred to herein. It provides inter alia:

“(b) Whenever, in connection with the furnishing of any assistance in furtherance of the purposes of this Act—
“(1) use within the United States, without authorization by the owner, shall be made of an invention ; or
“(2) damage to the owner shall result from the disclosure of infor *789 mation by reason of acts of the United States or its officers or employees, the exclusive remedy of the owner of such invention or information shall be by suit against the United States in the Court of Claims or in the District Court of the United States for the district in which such owner is a resident for reasonable and entire compensation for unauthorized use or disclosure. In any such suit the United States may avail itself of any and all defenses, general or special, that might be pleaded by any defendant in a like action.”

The contracts for the manufacture of the sleeping bags were made by the United States Government with United States manufacturers. There is no allegation that such contracts were let on behalf of any foreign country, but only that the end product, the sleeping bags, were shipped overseas and used by friendly nations. Conceding for the purposes of this motion that the plaintiff had a valid patent and that the use of his invention was without authorization, the question remains whether the production in the United States, under contracts with our Government, of articles covered by a valid patent, which articles may eventually find their way into the hands of a friendly nation, allows an injured patent holder to invoke the jurisdiction conferred upon this court by the Mutual Security Acts.

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Bluebook (online)
153 F. Supp. 787, 139 Ct. Cl. 682, 114 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 248, 1957 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 117, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kaplan-v-united-states-cc-1957.