Rushmore v. Saxon

158 F. 499, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 4960
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedJanuary 4, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 158 F. 499 (Rushmore v. Saxon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rushmore v. Saxon, 158 F. 499, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 4960 (circtsdny 1908).

Opinion

RAY,.District Judge.

The bill of complaint herein was filed about January 18, 1907, and alleges unfair competition'in trade by'defendant in that the defendant has exactly copied the new, original, and characteristic search light shell of the complainant, and has made a painstaking and wholly unnecessary and exact imitation of the complain.ant’s shell in shape, size, weight, decoration,- form, and other details, so that the search light lamps of the defendant were, in appearance, ■substantially or exactly the same as the complainant’s,' ánd that defendant has put out and sold large- numbers of his said search light- lamps, .and is proposing to .sell others of the same make in large quantities. Also, that the defendant has knowingly, studiously, and exactly so .imitated complainant’s lamp for the purpose of misleading and deceiving the public, and securing the fraudulent sale and substitution of the •defendant’s search light lamps, so imitating complainant’s, as and for the lamps of the' complainant, and for the purpose of diverting profits from the complainant, and securing the advantages of the' reputation of •complainant’s lamps and the existing demand therefor. The complaint [501]*501also alleges that many persons have been misled and deceived by such acts and imitation all to the great damage of complainant.

The bill of complaint also alleges that the peculiar design, form, and construction of his said search light damp were new with him, and that in his trade with his customers and in his intercourse with the trade he gave to his said lamps and used, as applied thereto, the name “Flare Front,” in connection with and to indicate his said lamp; and that said name “Flare Front” was originally adopted by complainant and used by him as the first one in connection with and as an indicating name for automobile lamps; and that said words were arbitrarily chosen by the complainant to distinguish his said lamps, and that the defendant has copied said name “Piare Front,” and is using it in his catalogues and advertisements and with the trade in connection with his said lamps for the purposes of deceiving purchasers and palming off said imitation lamps as those of complainant, and to assist defendant in the fraudulent sale and substitution of defendant’s lamps as those of complainant. Also, that defendant has sold his imitation lamp as and for the Rushmore lamp, and has represented that his lamps were the Rushmore lamps, and has so billed them to purchasers. All this is denied by the defendant except he admits, in substance, in his evidence and proofs at least, that since complainant commenced manufacturing and selling his lamps defendant has adopted the same style and form of manufacture, descending to detail, and has sold same. The defendant claims however that before he commenced making lamps in the same form and style of complainant’s lamp that others had done the same thing, and that he, therefore, was only copying a lamp in general use and made and sold by many different parties. ’Defendant denies any purpose to defraud or injure the complainant or to palm off his lamps as to complainant’s manufacture. The defendant also insists that he has sufficiently distinguished his lamp from the “Rushmore” in that he has placed a plate thereon, showing to the trade and all purchasers and users that it is of his manufacture, and not the Rushmore lamp.

The defendant was called as a witness, subpoenaed by the complainant, and he testified, among other things, that he is the proprietor and the manager of the Manhattan Lamp Works in New York City, and that he manufactures and sells the lamp marked “Exhibit B, Saxon Lamp,” and that he commenced their manufacture about October, 1906. On cross-examination the defendant was asked by his counsel the following question: “The lamp made and sold by you is, to all external' appearances exactly like the lamp made and sold by the complainant, Rushmore. Please explain how you came to make a lamp of this construction?” The answer was: “My idea was to make a lamp exactly the same as the Rushmore, so that some of my customers could have a Saxon lamp as well as a Rushmore.” The next question was: “Did you have in mind that your customers would suppose your lamp was a Rushmore lamp?” The answer is: “I do not believe they could for my name was on the lamp. Q. Did you ever intend that they should so suppose? A. No.” He then stated that he put his name plate on the lamp at a point exactly corresponding to that at which complainant’s name plate is exhibited on his own lamp. This witness also testified [502]*502that on these lamps he put .different name plates or different names, but he could not, or at least did not, give but one or two of these names.

The lamp in question designed and made by the complainant, as the evidence shows, is a superior and popular search light or acetylene gas lamp for automobiles. While automobiles in the large cities are coming into use for general purposes, they are largely an article of luxury so to speak. On account of their cost, they are used largely by persons of wealth who look much to the style and appearance as well as to the solidity, strength^ and durability of the machine. Few purchasers or owners know anything about the mechanism, and as a rule they know less as tp the quality of the materials used in their construction. The search light lamp is always prominent and attractive upon an automobile, and in the daytime should be of attractive and pleasing design, thus making it ornamental. The result is that the design and appearance of the shell of this lamp are of great importance, and, if pleasing to the trade, to purchasers, and users a particular style or form of construction may be of great value, very popular, and meet with large sales, even if it be no better or of no greater practical utility, than one of much cheaper construction. Knowing all this from experience, and much more, in December, 1905, Rushmore deemed it wise to design an ornamental and distinctive inclosing shell for his lamps for automobiles, which would give notice and a guarantee to his customers that they were securing the Rushmore lamp. The evidence shows, and it is practically conceded, that this was a superior lamp. In January, 1906, Rushmore exhibited this structure of his at the automobile show in Madison Square Garden, New York City, and it was there seen by many thousands of people., particularly by those interested in automobiles and automobile construction, fixtures, and attachments. The evidence tends to show, and establishes to my satisfaction, that the complainant, Rushmore, was the first to design this shell for search light lamps, known as the “Rushmore Ramp,” Exhibit A in the proofs. It is distinctive in its type, form, ornamentation, and peculiarities. The particular form and appearance of these external parts are, almost without exception, nonfunctional. Rushmore’s lamp has a new and arbitrary form of front door, rear cover, and ventilator. These he combines in one lamp, and then dressed up or ornamented the shell with arbitrary curves, beads, etc., and thus had a shell which was characteristic, novel, and attractive in appearance. All this the defendant copied to the minutest detail. '

In November, 1906, the complainant was first informed that defendant was making and putting his imitation lamps on the market. He found no way to get certain proof until during an automobile exhibition at Madison Square Garden held in January, 1907, the complainant, through one J. E. Kelly, then and there purchased “Exhibit B, Saxon Damp,” at defendant’s booth where he was exhibiting lamps and taking orders.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 F. 499, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 4960, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rushmore-v-saxon-circtsdny-1908.