Rogers Peet Co. v. B. F. Goodrich Co.

143 F.2d 880, 31 C.C.P.A. 1191, 62 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 282, 1944 CCPA LEXIS 82
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedJune 19, 1944
DocketNo. 4882
StatusPublished

This text of 143 F.2d 880 (Rogers Peet Co. v. B. F. Goodrich 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
Rogers Peet Co. v. B. F. Goodrich Co., 143 F.2d 880, 31 C.C.P.A. 1191, 62 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 282, 1944 CCPA LEXIS 82 (ccpa 1944).

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal in a trade-mark opposition proceeding from the' decision of the Commissioner of Patents reversing the decision of the Examiner of Interferences holding that the marks of the parties are confusingly similar and sustaining appellant’s notice of opposition.

Appellee’s trade-mark consists of the word “KOROMIST.”

It appears from appellee’s application for registration, No. 427,938, filed January 27, 1940, that appellee had used its mark on “plain, colored, and/or printed fabrics impregnated and/or coated with a synthetic composition having rubber like characteristics” since December 29,1939.

It appears from the record that appellant is the owner of the following tradermark registrations: No. 95,149, issued February 3, 1914, for the words “Scotch Mist proofed,” the word “proofed” being disclaimed apart from the mark as shown, for use on outer suits and overcoats; No. 121,006, issued March 19, 1918, for the words “Scotch Mist,” for use on hats and caps; No. 342,520, issued January 19, 1937, for the words “Highland Mist,” for use on suits, coats, vests, pants, overcoats, and topcoats for men, which mark, according to the record, was purchased by appellant from S. Makransky & Sons along with the goods and good will of that company; and No. 358,782, issued July 26, 1938, for a composite trade-mark, the dominant feature of which is the word “Mist,” for use on men’s and boys’ suits, overcoats, hats, leather, rubber and fabric shoes, raincoats, negligee and sport shirts, collars, neckties, and hosiery.

Considerable evidence was introduced by appellant which, briefly stated, establishes that appellant and its predecessor have been in business since 1874. It appears from the evidence that during that entire period appellant and its predecessor have been engaged in the wholesale and retail trade; that appellant manufactures and sells expensive and high quality ready-made wearing apparel for men, young men. and boys; that it is the largest manufacturer of this type of clothing in the United States; that long prior to any date that can be awarded to appellee, appellant manufactured and sold waterproof overcoats under its various trade-marks; that its overcoats are frequently called for by the name “Mist” by both men and women; that it has four retail stores in New York City and one in Boston;-that it has a so-called “mail order department”; that its overcoats and other goods are sold throughout the United States under its trade-marks that its trade-mark “Mist” has been used on both light- and heavy-weight overcoats;. that the first shipment of a coat bearing the trade-mark “Mist” was on April 23, 1937; that appellant has expended large sums of money, the exact amount does not appear of record, in advertising its goods through-such mediums as window-display cards, newspapers in New York City, [1193]*1193Boston, and New Jersey, suburban daily and weekly papers, the Chris-: tian Science Monitor, and magazines, such as Fortune, American Hebrew, Jewish Opinion, the National Jewish Monthly, Promenade, Town and Country, Esquire, New Yorker, and the Saturday Evening - Post.

It is apparent from the record that appellant’s so-called “Mist trademarks” have become popularized throughout the greater portion of the United States, and that many purchasers refer to appellant’s overcoats merely as “Mist” overcoats.

Appellee submitted in evidence a stipulation entered into by counsel for the parties on December 9, 1940, wherein it is stated that ap-pellee’s material is “adapted for sale and use as waterproof material in the manufacture in general of articles for which waterproof material of this type is suitable; -that it is the intention of the applicant [appellee] to sell this material to the wholesale trade to be made up into articles for which the purchasers may wish to employ the material, including such articles as,shower curtains, waterproof clothing and raincoats.” [Italics ours.] Appellee also submitted in evidence prior registrations issued to third persons ail of which, although prior to appellant’s registration of the trade-mark “Mist,” were subsequent to the other of appellant’s registrations hereinbefore referred to.

In his decision, sustaining appellant’s notice of opposition and holding that appellee was not entitled to the registration of its mark, the Examiner of Interferences stated, among other things, that the goods of the parties possess the same descriptive properties, and that appellant’s mark “Mist” and appellee’s mark “KOBOMIST” are confusingly similar.

The examiner held that the prior registrations to which attention has been called by appellee would not warrant a conclusion that there would be no likelihood of confusion in the trade by the concurrent use of the marks of the parties. In so holding, the examiner cited the case of The Pepsodent Co. v. Comfort Manufacturing Co., 23 C. C. P. A. (Patents) 1224, 83 F. (2d) 906, 29 USPQ 601, where it was contended by the appellee that prior registrations to third persons of marks of which the word “dent” Avas a part was some indication that no confusion in trade would result if it was permitted to register its mark “Pearledent” for use on dentifrices, although The Pepsodent Company Avas the oAAmer of the registered trade-mark “Pepsodent” for use on dentifrices and antiseptics.

In our decision in that case, holding that the applicant (Comfort Manufacturing Co.) Avas not entitled to register its mark, Ave said, inter alia:

We haA7e frequently said tliat an applicant for the registration of a trade-mark does not strengthen his oavia case by pointing out a confusing similarity between trade-marks registered in the Patent Office AA'hich are not iiivoh'ed in applicant’s [1194]*1194proceeding. It has always been the view of this court that an applicant’s right to the registration of a mark, which implies the exclusive right to use the same, is not enlarged or changed by a consideration of confusingly similar trade-marks which have been registered in the Patent Office. Appellee’s argument, in effect, amounts to a contention that since there is already confusion by reason of Patent Office registration and extensive use of the term “dent” in many marks, it should have' the right >to further-add to the existing confusion. We do not think the registration statute was intended to promote such a condition as appellee, in effect, argues for.

Cases were cited in support of that statement.

In reversing the decision of the Examiner of Interferences, the commissioner, as we understand his decision, held that the goods of the parties possess the same descriptive properties, but that, in view of the differences in the marks and the differences in the goods, confusion in trade would not be likely to result by appellant’s use of its mark “Mist” on its goods and appellee’s use of the mark “KORO-MIST” on its goods.

In support of his holding, the commisisoner cited the case of Puerto Rico Distilling Co. v. The Coca-Cola Co., 28 C. C. P. A. (Patents) 1143, 120 F. (2d) 370, 49 USPQ 660, where it was held by a majority of the court that the trade-mark “RONRICOLA,” for use on rum, alcoholic cocktails, and beverages containing substantial portions of rum, and the trade-mark “Coca-Cola,” for use on a nonalcoholic beverage, were not confusingly similar in view of the differences in the marks and the differences in the goods of the parties.

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Related

Lever Bros. Co. v. Sitroux Co.
109 F.2d 445 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1940)
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120 F.2d 370 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1941)

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143 F.2d 880, 31 C.C.P.A. 1191, 62 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 282, 1944 CCPA LEXIS 82, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogers-peet-co-v-b-f-goodrich-co-ccpa-1944.