Symphonic Electronics Corp. v. United States

77 Cust. Ct. 147, 1976 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1043
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJuly 7, 1976
DocketC.R.D. 76-5; Court No. 74-4-00896
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 77 Cust. Ct. 147 (Symphonic Electronics Corp. 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
Symphonic Electronics Corp. v. United States, 77 Cust. Ct. 147, 1976 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1043 (cusc 1976).

Opinion

Memorandum Opinion and Order

Newman, Judge:

The parties in this civil action have filed cross-motions for summary judgment pursuant to rule 8.2. For the reasons stated herein, the cross-motions are denied.

The issue involves the proper tariff classification of plaintiff’s Model R.860 AM/FM/MPX stereo “chassis”, which was imported from Japan in 1972. The district director at the port of Boston assessed duty on the merchandise at the rate of 10.4 per centum ad valorem under the provision in item 685.23, TSUS, as modified by T.D. 68-9, for “Solid-state (tubeless) radio receivers”. Plaintiff claims that the imports are properly dutiable at the rate of 6 per centum ad valorem under the provision in item 685.25, TSUS, as modified by T.D. 68-9, for “Other” radiobroadcasting and reception apparatus, and parts thereof.

The imported “chassis” is concededly a “solid-state (tubeless)” device, and the sole question for determination is whether the imports are “radio receivers”.

There is no dispute that the Model R860 chassis is the same in all material respects as the “11835 AM/FM tuners”, the subject of [148]*148Symphonic Electronics Corp. v. United States, 72 Cust. Ct. 211, C.D. 4543 (1974), wherein I sustained the Government’s assessment of duty on tbe articles pursuant to item 685.23.

The Model E.835 in the prior Symphonic case comprised a tuner-amplifier,1 which possessed the basic components and circuitry necessary for the reception of AM, FM and FM stereo multiplex (MPX) signals, and also possessed sufficient amplifying capability to operate loudspeakers. In its condition as imported, the Model K.835 had no cabinet, loudspeaker, control knobs or calibrated station dial, and was designed and intended for incorporation into combination radio-phonographs.

In support of its motion for summary judgment, plaintiff has submitted an affidavit of Kenneth L. Freeland, who testified on plaintiff’s behalf in the prior Symphonic case. Defendant, in support of its cross-motion, has incorporated the record of the prior case, which includes the testimony of three witnesses called on its behalf.

In the prior Symphonic case, for purposes of comparison, I cited: “Cf. Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc. v. United States, 70 Cust. Ct. 193, C.D. 4430, 362 F. Supp. 560 (1973) (appeal pending)". There, the importation comprised four components or subassemblies of an elect! onic organ, which after importation were assembled together with a cabinet, hardware and loudspeaker into plaintiff’s “electronic organ”, Model 8931. The issue was whether the imported components, standing alone, constituted an electronic musical instrument (an organ) within the purview of item 725.47, TSUS, or parts of a musical instrument under item 726.80. The Customs Court held that the cabinet, hardware and loudspeaker were not essential components of an electronic organ, and sustained the Government’s classification under item 725.47.

Subsequent to the prior Symphonic decision, the appellate court reversed the judgment in Montgomery Ward (61 CCPA 101, C.A.D. 1131, 499 F. 2d 1283 (1974)), finding that the cabinet and loudspeaker were basic parts of an electronic organ, and that therefore the imported components when assembled did not constitute an “electronic organ” within the common meaning of that term. Accordingly, the appellate court held that the Government’s classification of the components as an electronic musical instrument under item 725.47 was erroneous.

In arriving at its decision in Montgomery Ward, the appellate court observed, inter alia, that a cabinet and speaker are basic elements of an organ; that the imported components when assembled were unable to generate an audible musical sound without a loudspeaker; that it [149]*149was essential to classification as a “musical instrument” there be a capability in an organ of producing sound when played upon; that there was no significant evidence in the record that organs of the type in which the importations were used were ever sold without cabinets; and that a cabinet was essential to the conventional use of an electronic organ.

In essence, plaintiff's position is that my prior decision in Symphonic requires a reexamination in light of the subsequent holding of the appellate court in Montgomery Ward that a speaker and cabinet are essential components of' an electronic organ.

Defendant argues that Montgomery Ward is distinguishable from the facts disclosed by the incorporated record, and that the prior Symphonic case is stare decisis inasmuch as there has been no clear and convincing showing of error.

While a cabinet and loudspeaker are essential components of an electronic organ (Montgomery Ward), the issue in the instant case is whether such components are essential to a radio receiver within the common meaning of that term. Reflecting the common meaning of the term “receiver” (as distinguished from “receiving set”) is the following definition:

86 C.J.S. Tel. & Tel., Radio & Television § 293 (1954):
“Receiver;" “receiving set.” A “receiver” is commonly understood in the trade as including something more than a tuned radio frequency receiver; it takes in what is called a chassis; in other words, a chassis plus■ tubes is a receiver in the trade sense of the word. In that sense, the combination of the essential elements of a radio receiver, arranged and mounted, for commercial purposes, on a frame, called a “chassis”, constitutes a receiver. [Footnote references omitted; emphasis added.]
A “receiving set” comprises a receiver and some form of telephonic device; it may be said with some approach to accuracy that a receiving set consists of a receiver and a loud speaker. [Footnote references omitted.]

Additionally, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1970 ed., Vol. 11, pp. 485-486, states:

A “tuner” is employed for reception of radio broadcasts. The hi-fi tuner is simply a refined version of a radio receiver, but without audio amplifier or loudspeaker.
if: * * * if? ❖
* * * [W]hen a radio tuner is combined with an integrated amplifier, the resulting unit is referred to as a “receiver”. [Emphasis added.]

Significantly, too, the imported R860 stereo unit was described on the invoice as a “chassis”. At 86 C.J.S. § 293, the term “chassis” with reference to radio receivers is defined as follows (at 302):

“Chassis.” A “chassis” is a metal structure on which the tuned radio frequency receiver complete in all its elements, except its [150]*150tubes, is mounted; it is the frame on which the essential elements of a radio receiver are, for commercial purposes, arranged and mounted. The use of the word “chassis" connotes a radio receiver. [Footnote references omitted; emphasis added.]

In Radio Corporation of America v. Philadelphia Storage Battery Co., 23 Del. Ch. 289, 6 A.

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77 Cust. Ct. 147, 1976 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1043, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/symphonic-electronics-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1976.