MacSweeney Enterprises, Inc. v. Tarantino

235 Cal. App. 2d 549, 45 Cal. Rptr. 546, 146 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 557, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 955
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 2, 1965
DocketCiv. 10919
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 235 Cal. App. 2d 549 (MacSweeney Enterprises, Inc. v. Tarantino) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MacSweeney Enterprises, Inc. v. Tarantino, 235 Cal. App. 2d 549, 45 Cal. Rptr. 546, 146 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 557, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 955 (Cal. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

*551 PIERCE, P. J.

— This is a suit for an injunction. Plaintiff is the senior user of a trade name and symbol. The name, also the family name of defendants, has comparatively recently (1960) been adopted by them as the name of their business. Both parties are in the restaurant business but with different specialties. The name-symbols used in advertising are, as the court found, similar. Judgment was for defendants and plaintiff appeals. The evident theory of the trial court was that although public confusion had resulted there was no fraud and therefore use hy defendants of their own surname could not be enjoined. Our reversal is upon the grounds that plaintiff’s widely advertised and well-known senior use of the name had given it a “secondary” meaning and that junior use of even a family name will be enjoined when public deception inevitably results. We limit the injunctive relief to be granted as hereinafter explained.

Plaintiff operates a widely advertised and well-known seafood restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco which since 1946 has been called “Tarantino’s.” The name is that of a former partner, Joseph Tarantino, whose interest had been purchased prior to the opening of the restaurant. The trial court’s findings of fact included the following: “Plaintiff has spent large sums of money advertising his [sic] restaurant and its identifying name ‘Tarantinos’ and his [sic] restaurant is generally referred to as Tarantinos. ... Plaintiff’s restaurant has a national and international reputation under the name of ‘Tarantinos.’ ” Details in evidence supporting these findings are these: The business known as ‘ ‘ Tarantino's ’' over the years has developed into an enterprise grossing about a million dollars a year. Approximately 6,000 credit cards have been issued to customers. These customers are mostly in the Bay Area but include some from different parts of the United States and from other countries. The restaurant has a mailing list of 17,000 names. Each month statements go out to not less than 4,500 persons, either billing them or soliciting patronage from former customers. ‘ ‘ Tarantino’s ’ ’ has been featured in national magazines, including the New Yorker, Life, Holiday. Either articles or advertisements have appeared in National Geographic, Newsweek, Time and Fortune. Between six and seven hundred fifty thousand dollars have been spent on advertising. Seven hundred fifty thousand copies of a pamphlet called “Why Tarantino’s?” explaining why a corporation solely owned by an Irishman, Eugene McAteer, is running a restaurant with an Italian name (the reason being *552 that many Italian names have long been identified with Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco).

Defendant Joseph Tarantino (no relation of the former partner of McAteer) and his wife Rose are now operating a restaurant specializing in Italian food at A1 Tahoe, California. Regarding this business the findings state: “From April, 1959, to June, 1960, the defendants in partnership with John Vetrano operated a restaurant under the name of ‘Carlo’s Pizzeria ’ at the same location, the name ‘Carlo’s’ being a family name of defendants’ partner Vetrano; that defendants’ partnership with Vetrano was dissolved in June of 1960 and the operation of the restaurant under the name ‘Carlo’s Pizzeria’ was discontinued . . . [and] defendants commenced the operation of the restaurant business . . . under the name ‘Tarantino ’s ’ immediately upon the dissolution of said partnership. ’ ’ The findings also state: “Defendants’ restaurant is an Italian food specialty house and is so identified by defendants on the restaurant menu and in advertising of said restaurant by defendants. Defendants’ restaurant business is highly seasonal, the greatest volume of said business being done during the months of July, August and September of each year.” A later finding adds: “Defendants have and are continuing to advertise their restaurant and are seeking business among the general public in the City and County of San Francisco and in the San Francisco Bay area. ’ ’

In amplification of the foregoing defendant Joseph Tarantino testified that the percentage of “local” business was trivial; that most of his business came from the Bay Area and Sacramento, although in summer, Lake Tahoe being a great tourist attraction, the patronage was from all over the country. Nevertheless, the trial court found “Defendants’ restaurant is not located in the same trading area as plaintiff’s restaurant. ’ ’ As stated above, all of plaintiff’s advertising, the sign on its building, the menus, stationery, bar coasters and other items circulated to the public use the business symbol ‘ ‘ Tarantino’s.” This is written in a particular style of free-flowing script. An example is in evidence. Defendants, after adopting the name “Tarantino’s,” had a sign painter design a business symbol emphasizing the word “Tarantino’s.” Regarding this the trial court found: ‘ ‘ The defendants since operating under the name ‘Tarantino’s’ have used a type of printing in their advertising of the name ‘Tarantino’s’ similar to that used by plaintiff since 1945.” (As in plaintiff’s symbol the two “t’s” are stressed, but in defendants’ symbol lower case lettering “freely” rendered has been substituted for script.)

*553 Defendants have spent approximately $25,000 for advertising. In addition to the advertising in the Bay Area noted in the findings, they advertise in El Dorado County, in the telephone book,- by directories in motels (listing restaurants); the restaurant is a member of the Diner’s Club organization. Defendants’ business now represents an investment of approximately $198,000.

Perhaps their most prominent advertising consists of a large highway sign at Lake Tahoe showing the restaurant to be nearby, a sign in front of the restaurant building, and two highway signs, one on the Truckee River road and the other on Spooner Summit grade in Nevada, showing ‘1 Tarantino’s ’ ’ to be 20 and 6 miles away, respectively. Two additional signs are contemplated on U. S. Highways 40 and 50. All of the signs now in use feature the business symbol “Tarantino’s” written as described. In all but one the restaurant’s specialization, Italian food, is also featured.

McAteer became aware of defendants’ use of the name “Tarantino’s” in July or August of 1960, shortly after the defendants ’ adoption of the name. He requested them to avoid confusion by identifying their restaurant by use of the name “Joe Tarantino’s” or by the wife’s first name or both, or by use of someone else’s name. Defendants refused. During the pendency of the action, defendants upon the advice of their attorney put up a sign which read:

“Please do not confuse us with Tarantino’s of Fisherman’s Wharf. We are proud of our fine Italian food and HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH ANY OTHER RESTAURANT, (thank you for your patronage)
Rose A. and Joseph Tarantino”

Mr. Tarantino took this sign down later. He testified he had done so “because I noticed it was causing confusion so I took it down. Why bring attention to anything 1” (Italics added.)

As to tiie extent to which the general public has been confused by defendants’ use of the name “Tarantino’s” or by the similarity of the trade symbol the parties as might be expected disagreed.

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Bluebook (online)
235 Cal. App. 2d 549, 45 Cal. Rptr. 546, 146 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 557, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 955, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/macsweeney-enterprises-inc-v-tarantino-calctapp-1965.