Sohier v. Johnson

111 Mass. 238
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1872
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 111 Mass. 238 (Sohier v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sohier v. Johnson, 111 Mass. 238 (Mass. 1872).

Opinion

Morton, J.

The plaintiffs and the defendant are joint executors and trustees under the will of William P. Winchester. The bill, filed February 10,1871, avers that the late firm of E, A. & W. Winchester for many years carried on the manufacture of soap in Cambridge; that they had adopted and used the name of the firm as a trade-mark, to designate and mark their soap; that the testator at the time of his death was the sole remaining member of said firm, and was the sole owner and possessor of said trade-mark; and that upon his death it became the property of and vested in the executors and trustees under his will. It further alleges that the plaintiffs have made an agreement with John Livermore to grant to him the exclusive right to use said trade-mark, and that the defendant refuses to join in said agreement, claiming the right to use the trade-mark himself. The prayer of the bill is to restrain the defendant from using the trade-mark and to order him to execute the agreement granting the exclusive right to it to Livermore.

Among the undisputed facts it appears that the firm of E. A. & W. Winchester established the manufactory of soap at Cambridge in the year 1821, the testator being one of the members of- the firm. They adopted the firm name, “ E. A. & W. Winchester,” as a trade-mark, which they stamped upon the bars of soap and upon the boxes in which the soap was packed. In 1847 the testator was the only surviving member of the firm. In that year he admitted the defendant into the firm, under articles of copartnership, the preamble of which recited that “ the only surviving partner, William P. Winchester, for the purpose of continuing the business in the same name and style of the late firm, hereby admits as a copartner Charles B. Johnson, of Roxbury, upon the following conditions.” It is necessary to refer particularly to only three of the articles. The first, third and sixth are as follows:

[240]*240“ Article 1. Said William P. Winchester reserves to himself the entire control and management of the business of the firm and the right to dissolve the copartnership at any time he may desire so to do, and in the event of a dissolution of the co-partnership by the said William P. Winchester, said Charles B. Johnson shall withdraw from the firm without making any claim whatever other than for the payment of his portion of the profits, if any should have accumulated.”

“ Article 8. Any and all additions, repairs, improvements or alterations, together with any and all expenses which may be incurred in, upon or about the premises known as the Provision and Soap and Candle Establishment at East Cambridge, which may be undertaken for the better conducting of the business of this copartnership, shall be paid from the joint funds of the firm and carried to profit and loss account, and the said Charles B. Johnson shall make no claim or allowance whatever for such expenditures, but the said William P. Winchester, in consideration thereof, shall make no charge of rent for his portion of said establishment, (of which he is owner of one moiety,) the rent for. the other moiety being fixed by the will of the late Stephen Winchester.”

“Article 6. Said William P. Winchester reserves the right to associate with him as partner or partners, either of his sons, nephews, relatives or other persons at such time as he may desire, and in the event of the decease of the said William P. Winchester, his sons and other relatives (not exceeding three in number) as alluded to in the will of said William P. Winchester, shall have the right to become partners of the firm, which is to be continued under the name of E. A. & W. Winchester, they to receive such equitable share of the profits as may under such circumstances be agreed upon.”

The firm thus formed continued without any change until the death, in 1850, of William P. Winchester, who left a will, of which the seventh article is as follows:

“Article 7. If it shall happen that I have at the time of my decease any interest or share in the capital or joint property in the partnership of E. A. & W. Winchester, now composed ot [241]*241Charles B. Johnson and myself, or that said firm shall be in possession of and using any real estate belonging to me, for the purposes of said partnership, I hereby authorize the trustee or trustees acting under this will, to allow said partnership, if either of my sons or sons-in-law, or my cousin Amasa Winchester, Esquire, or my nephew Stephen S. Winchester, or my partner and friend Charles B. Johnson, shall be a member thereof, at the time of, or shall become members of the same within six months after my decease, to hold the said real estate as long as they may desire, at a clear net rent of six per cent, per annum upon the valuation of said real estate, including all fixtures, as the same may be returned by the appraisers at the Probate Court, the said firm making all additions, alterations and repairs at their own expense, and paying all taxes levied upon the same, and the cost of all insurance against fire. I also authorize, empower and direct, most decisively, that my said trustees, the survivor or survivors, shall allow the said copartnership, if including any or either of the above named persons, to borrow, retain or take as p loan, if they desire to do so, the amount of my personal property or share in said firm at the time of my decease, not exceeding, however, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, at the rate of six per cent, per annum, payable quarterly, provided that it does not become absolutely necessary to appropriate a portion of such personal share in the said copartnership to pay the bequests made by this will, and in this event, only the balance remaining shall be so loaned or retained. And such real and personal estate may be retained and used as aforesaid (unless for reasons which all of the said trustees shall deem sufficient to make the withdrawal of said real and personal estate expedient and proper) by said firm as long as either or any of the persons before named shall be, become or continue members of said firm; and one at least of the trustees acting under this will shall always be a member of the said firm, the senior partner having this right over and above any other member of the firm; but said firm shall, during the period for which said loan exists, be held to transact a cash or short credit business, and not, under any circumstances, to make any [242]*242sales of provisions or other merchandise, in which they may deal, upon a credit exceeding four months.”

After the death of William P. Winchester, the defendant continued the business alone until 1854, and after that with partners, using the firm name and trade-mark of “ E. A. & W. Winchester,” until 1867, when the firm became embarrassed and it was dissolved by the defendant. Since such dissolution the defendant has continued to manufacture soap and to use the trade-mark. In 1868, the executors and trustees under the will of William P. Winchester sold the manufactory at Cambridge with all the fixtures and utensils to Livermore.

Upon these facts it may be conceded that in 1847 Winchester had a valuable property in the trade-mark which he might dispose of in connection with the business. But it was property of a peculiar character, closely resembling that which he had in the good will of the business, and we think that by the articles of partnership between Winchester and the defendant, the good will and the right to use the trade-mark passed to the new firm.

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Bluebook (online)
111 Mass. 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sohier-v-johnson-mass-1872.