Penzoil Co. v. Hercules Powder Co.

100 F.2d 671, 26 C.C.P.A. 757
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedDecember 27, 1938
DocketNo. 4039
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 100 F.2d 671 (Penzoil Co. v. Hercules Powder Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Penzoil Co. v. Hercules Powder Co., 100 F.2d 671, 26 C.C.P.A. 757 (ccpa 1938).

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered tbe opinion of the court:

This is an appeal in a trade-mark opposition proceeding from the decision of the Commissioner of Patents affirming the decision of the Examiner of Interferences dismissing appellant’s notice of opposition, and holding appellee entitled to the registration of its trademark “DIPENSOL,” for use on a terpene hydrocarbon solvent.

In its application, serial No. 365,941, filed June 8, 1935, appellee stated that its terpene hydrocarbon solvent was “for use in all processes and compounds using turpentine, such as paints, varnishes, enamels, protective coatings, rubber processing, and cleaning compounds, etc.”

Appellee’s product, which is procured by the fractional distillation of pine wood, is a mixture of terpinene and terpinolene, and contains a small amount of dipentene and traces of pinene. It is very similar to turpentine in its sblvent properties, and is used, to a considerable extent, as a substitute therefor. It is used in the formulation of paints, but, as stated by the witness Langmeier, Director of Sales, Naval Stores Department of the appellee company, “only in small quantities to accomplish a specific result which is not accomplished by turpentine or by petroleum thinners.” Its chief use, however, is in the reclaiming of rubber and in the formulation of varnishes. Its use in the rubber reclaiming industry is that of a “devulcanizer,” “not a solvent,” although it appears that it “could be used to dissolve rubber.” It is also used in making protective coatings, such as “lacquers, nitrocellulose lacquers,” in cleaning compounds in the nature of a disinfectant, and in compounds for cleaning painted surfaces. It is sold directly to rubber reclaiming industries, paint and varnish manufacturers, and distributors or jobbers in 30 and 55 gallon drums and tank cars. Although it is not sold generally in small quantities at retail, it has been sold as samples in small containers, such as pints, quarts, and gallons. It appears that some of the distributors who handle appellee’s product also handle naphtha, produced by petroleum refiners, for use in the paint and varnish industry. It further appears that appellee’s product is not available either as a lubricant or as a motor fuel, and, because of its resin forming properties, is not available for use in the dry cleaning industry.

Appellant, The Pennzoil Company of California, is a subsidiary of, and the major portion of its stock is owned by, The Pennzoil Company of Pennsylvania. Appellant is engaged' in the marketing of gasoline and lubricating oils and greases produced by the parent company, [759]*759and is the owner of registration No. 111,759, issued August 1, 1916 on an application filed January 12, 1916 by the Panama Lubricants Company, appellant’s predecessor, of the trade-mark “PENNZOIL” for use on lubricating oils and greases, and registration No. 248,431, issued October 23, 1928 on an application filed by it April 18, 1928, of a composite trade-mark, comprising a pictorial representation of a bell and the word “PENNZOIL” (the word “PENNZOIL” being the dominant feature of the mark), for use on motor fuel oils and lubricating oils and greases. Appellant has continuously used its trademark on its goods since long prior to any use by appellee of its trademark “DIPENSOL,” and, although its sales are restricted to the Pacific Coast states, its trade-mark has been extensively advertised throughout the United States in the Saturday Evening Post, and in other publications, for many years prior to the use by appellee of its trade-mark, and several million dollars have been expended by appellant and the parent company in advertising the “PENNZOIL” trade-mark.

The Pennzoil Company of Pennsylvania is engaged in producing and selling petroleum products, such as “gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, lubricating oil, so-called neutral oils, so-called bright stocks, cylinder stocks, scale waxes, petrolatum, fuel oil, [and] gas oil.” It has manufactured, “thinning” or “V. M. and P. naphtha” for its own use for many years, and has used it in the manufacture of “barrel paint,” used by it in reconditioning containers, such as drums, in which some of its products are distributed, and, although it has sold some of this type of naphtha, there is no evidence of record that it is selling it at the present time. It appears that “V. M. and P. naphtha” is listed in trade publications as a solvent, however, the extent of its use as such is not stated in the record. The parent company also manufactures and sells a “cleaning naphtha” for use in cleaning garments, fabrics, linens, etc., which is sold to the public through the company’s branches, commonly called “gasoline service stations,” under the trademark “PENNZOIL.” The appellant company, however, does not now sell, and never has sold, either “V. M. and P. naphtha” or “cleaning naphtha.” In addition to lubricating oils and greases on which it uses its mark “PENNZOIL,” the appellant company sells gasoline under the trade-mark “PENNZIP.”

In opposing the registration of appellee’s trade-mark, appellant relies here upon the confusion-in-trade clause of section 5 of the Trade-mark Act of February 20, 1905. Counsel for appellant contend that the goods of the respective parties possess the same descriptive properties; that appellee’s trade-mark “DIPENSOL” and appellant’s trade-mark “PENNZOIL” are confusingly similar; that, although appellant does not now sell, and never has sold, either [760]*760“V. M. and P. naphtha” or “cleaning naphtha,” it might in the future in the normal extension of its business engage in the sale of either or both, and that it should not be hampered or embarrassed in the use of its trade-mart “PENNZOIL” on such products; that as both “V. M. and P. naphtha” and “cleaning naphtha” are competitive with appellee’s product, confusion in trade would result by the concurrent use by the parties of their respective trade-marks; and that as appellant’s trade-mark is a valuable one, appellant would be injured by the registration of appellee’s mark.

The Examiner of Interferences was of opinion that, although the goods of the respective parties possessed the same descriptive properties, they differed to such an extent that, considering the difference in the respective trade-marks, confusion in trade would not be likely to result from the concurrent use of the marks, and, accordingly, dismissed the notice of opposition.

With reference to the right of appellant to extend its use of its trade-mark to naphtha, the commissioner, in his decision affirming the decision of the Examiner of Interferences, said:

As opposer lias never applied its mark to any suck product, and the possibility of its doing so is purely speculative, I do not think the question of particular importance in the present proceeding. But even if opposer were now dealing in naphtha, that fact would not change my view that confusion is unlikely to result from applicant’s use of its mark on the goods described in the application.
If the two marks “Pennzoil” and “Dipensol” were used with identical or closely related merchandise the probability of confusion would be apparent. Or if the marks were identical it is likewise possible that confusion might result from their concurrent use with the goods here involved. But as the marks are different, and the goods are not the same, I am clearly of the opinion that there is no reasonable likelihood that confusion will occur.

It is not seriously argued here by counsel for appellee that the goods of the respective parties do not possess the same descriptive properties.

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Related

Pennzoil Co. v. Crown Central Petroleum Corporation
50 F. Supp. 891 (D. Maryland, 1943)

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Bluebook (online)
100 F.2d 671, 26 C.C.P.A. 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/penzoil-co-v-hercules-powder-co-ccpa-1938.