Mattel, Inc. v. United States

287 F. Supp. 999, 61 Cust. Ct. 75, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2251
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedAugust 8, 1968
DocketC.D. 3531; Protest 66/69722-82335
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 287 F. Supp. 999 (Mattel, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mattel, Inc. v. United States, 287 F. Supp. 999, 61 Cust. Ct. 75, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2251 (cusc 1968).

Opinion

*1000 MALETZ, Judge:

This case involves the proper classification of wigs for dolls. The wigs were classified by the collector under item 737.20 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States as parts of dolls, and assessed with duty at 35 percent ad valorem. Plaintiff claims that the merchandise is properly classifiable under the eo nomine provision for “wigs” in item 790.70, with duty at 14 percent ad valorem.

At the trial, the government abandoned and repudiated the collector’s classification and thus relinquished its presumption of correctness in this case. See e. g., Smith & Nichols (Inc), v. United States, 18 CCPA 16, 18, T.D. 43974 (1930); International Vitamin Corp. v. United States, 19 Cust.Ct. 76, 77, C.D. 1071 (1947). The government now claims a new classification for the wigs under item 737.90 as “[t]oys, * * not specially provided for * * * other,” carrying a duty rate of 35 percent ad valorem.

Quoted below are the pertinent statutory provisions:

Tariff Schedules of the United States
Item Articles Rates of Duty
1
737.20 Dolls, and parts of dolls including doll clothing ...........................35% ad val. [Emphasis supplied.]
* * * * * *
Toys, and parts of toys, not specially provided for:
* tf- * * * *
737.90 Other............................35%' ad val.
* * -X- * -X- *
790.70 Wigs, toupees, chignons, and similar articles ...............................14%' ad val.
Schedule 7, Part 5
Subpart E — Models; Dolls, Toys, Tricks, Party Favors
Subpart E headnotes:
1. The articles described in the provisions of this subpart (except parts) shall be classified in such provisions, whether or not such articles are more specifically provided for elsewhere in the tariff schedules * * *. [Emphasis supplied.]
2. For the purposes of the tariff schedules, a “toy” is any article chiefly used for the amusement of children or adults.
General Headnotes and Rules of Interpretation 10, General Interpretative Rules.
«•-*** -X- * * -X- -X- -X-
(ij) a provision for “parts” of an article covers a product solely or chiefly used as a part of such article, but does not prevail over a specific provision for such part. [Emphasis supplied.]

The record consists of a stipulation, the testimony of seven witnesses for the plaintiff, four witnesses for the government, ten exhibits for the plaintiff and four exhibits for the government. The stipulation was as follows:

(1) Defendant concedes that the articles described as wigs on the in *1001 voices are, in fact, wigs, and are described in item 790.70.
(2) Plaintiff concedes that said articles are chiefly used for the amusement of children or adults, and were chiefly so used on and immediately prior to July 29, 1964, which was the date of entry. Both parties reserve the right to offer testimony as to the manner in which the articles are used in the Los Angeles area. [Emphasis supplied.]
(3) The manner in which said articles are used in the Los Angeles area is the same as the manner in which they are used throughout the United States, and is the same as the manner in which they were used on and immediately prior to July 29, 1964.

The imported wigs being concededly “wigs” of the type specifically described in item 790.70, if the record establishes that these wigs are “parts” of dolls, then General Interpretative Rule 10 (ij) and the headnotes to Subpart E require that the specific provision for wigs prevail. Hence, the single issue is whether the wigs in this case are “parts of dolls.” 1 If they are, then (as defendant concedes) plaintiff’s claim is correct; if they are not, defendant prevails.

We now consider the facts of the case as shown by the record. In 1959, plaintiff first introduced on the market a doll known as the basic “Barbie” doll, which proved to be immensely popular with little girls. As an officer of plaintiff put it, little girls “identify * * * [the “Barbie” doll] with a quality image. They identify it with * * * almost a way of life.” The basic play pattern with the doll involves the selection and change of her clothing by the little girl playing with her. It may be added that the “Barbie” doll has fiber hair that has been permanently rooted into her head by machine, which effectively prevents the color and style of the hair from being altered. Because of that characteristic, changing hair style and color is not a part of the play function with the basic “Barbie” doll.

In late 1963, after the basic “Barbie” had been on the market for some 4 years, plaintiff introduced a significant variation called “Fashion Queen Barbie” which was “a very deluxe Barbie doll to sell at a higher price than the regular doll, including as part of the play pattern, the ability to change the hair color and hair style * * That “ability to change the hair color and hair style” was accomplished through the design and development of a special sculptured doll head and the wigs which are the subject of this case.

In the design and development of the special sculptured head and wigs for “Fashion Queen Barbie,” some 6,000 man-hours were expended (by sculptors, engineers, chemists, hair stylists, and others) during a period beginning in February 1962 and extending into 1963. The resulting product (head and wigs) was patented. The basic concept and objectives of the invention (which were testified to by the holder of the patent) are summarized in the patent applica *1002 tion which was filed August 17, 1962, as follows:

The concept of a wig or replaceable hairdo for a doll is not new, but the articles found in the prior art have been quite unsatisfactory from several points of view. Often these hairdos are quite unrealistic. Further, they often are not readily removable, or when removable, tend to loosen and fall off while the doll is being handled. These deficiencies appear to stem generally from the unstable nature of the wigs or headpieces which have been used prior to this time. Such unstable base construction results in ununiform shape and appearance. Further, the unstable base results in a headpiece which is not securely fastened to the doll and which therefore causes the headpiece to loosen or come off easily.
Accordingly, it is a prime object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved doll head and headpiece construction.

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Bluebook (online)
287 F. Supp. 999, 61 Cust. Ct. 75, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2251, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mattel-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1968.