Thomas G. Plant Co. v. May Co.

105 F. 375, 12 Ohio F. Dec. 151, 1900 U.S. App. LEXIS 3834
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedDecember 4, 1900
DocketNo. 832
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 105 F. 375 (Thomas G. Plant Co. v. May Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas G. Plant Co. v. May Co., 105 F. 375, 12 Ohio F. Dec. 151, 1900 U.S. App. LEXIS 3834 (6th Cir. 1900).

Opinion

SEVERENS, Circuit Judge,

having stated tke case as above, delivered tke opinion of tke court.

Counsel for tke appellant kave first discussed tke matter of this appeal in their briefs at some length upon tke assumption that tke appellant had a technical trade-mark in tke designation “Queen Quality” or “Queen,” but, as this is not alleged in tke bill, and appears only incidentally in tke proofs, we shall not deal with tke [377]*377case on that footing. The substantial merits of the case are involved in the question whether the appellant was entitled to an injunction to restrain the defendant from pursuing its course of dealing in the use of the name “Queen” as a designation of its goods, upon the ground that it leads to the deception of the public, and the unlawful appropriation of the appellant’s business reputation. The court below, as indicated by its order, based its action upon the opinion that the use by the appellant of the designation of “Queen” or “Queen Quality” as a brand or name for its shoes was merely to designate “the character, class, grade, and quality” of the shoes, and not to indicate the ownership or origin of manufacture; and this Adew pervades the substance of the order. It is not necessary to discuss the question whether, upon that assumption, the injunction, as awarded,' rests upon any sufficient ground. We are of opinion that the court erred in its conclusion that the designation of its shoes by the appellant was merely or primarily for the purpose of denoting their grade or quality. The court refers in its opinion, which is sent up with the transcript and published in 100 Fed. 72, to the case of Mill Co. v. Alcorn, 150 U. S. 460, 14 Sup. Ct. 151, 37 L. Ed. 1114, wherein it is said:

“To acquire a right to the exclusive use of a name, device, or symbol as a trade-mark, it moat appear that it was adopted for the purpose of identifying tlie origin or ownership of the articles to which it is attached, or ihat such trade-mark points distinctly to the origin, manufacture, or ownership of the article on which it is stamped; and is designed to indicate the owner or producer of the commodity, and to distinguish it from like articles manufactured by others. If a device, mark, or symbol is adopted or placed upon an article for the purpose of identifying its class, grade, style, or quality, or for any purpose other than a reference to- or indication of its ownership, it cannot be sustained as a valid trade-mark.”

Undoubtedly this Is a correct statement of the law, though the case itself determined nothing pertinent here, the question there being one involving the exclusive right to use a geographical name. The last sentence in the above quotation, in speaking of the purpose of identification, etc., refers to the primary purpose, and it is not to he inferred that the learned justice meant to say that if incidentally the symbol had the effect to denote quality, the general purpose being to denote origin or ownership, and the quality being incident to the goods of such ownership, the right to the use of that symbol could not be sustained; for it is manifest that, if the good will which goes with the trade-name has any foundation in merit, it must necessarily imply a quality in the goods. Indeed, it would seem that the mere fact that the word chosen carries with it a claim of excellence cannot invalidate the choice. The law upon the subject is, as Mr. Justice Jackson said in that case, and has been since many times repeated, well settled, and the questions of difficulty concern the facts. The use of the trade-mark or trade-name of another, although generally the most important of the means resorted to for the purpose of appropriating the benefits óf his good reputation, is but one of such means, and the rule of conduct is leveled at them all. The following statement of ■ the -general prin[378]*378ciple was approved by this court in the case of American Washboard Co. v. Saginaw Mfg. Co., 43 C. C. A. 233, 103 Fed. 281:

“The circumstances vary greatly, but tbe underlying principle wbieb is effective in the solution of such cases is that a party may not adopt a mark or symbol which has been employed by another manufacturer, and by long use and employment on the part of that other has come to be recognized by the public as denoting the origin of the manufacture, and thus impose upon the public by inducing them to believe that the goods which this new party thus offers are the goods of the original party. In other words, it is a fundamental principle that a man cannot make use of a reputation which another manufacturer has acquired in a trade-mark or trade-name, and, by inducing the public to act upon a misapprehension as to the source of the origin, deprive the other party of the good will and reputation which he has acquired, and to which he is entitled.”

It is insisted in bebalf of tbe appellee that the designation “Queen” is essentially one which signifies quality, and cannot, therefore, be appropriated by one individual as a trade-name to the exclusion of others who have an equal right to use terms which denote a superior, value or quality in their goods. But the decisive weight of authority supports the right of an individual to adopt a specific name of this character to distinguish his goods from those of others. Thus, the use of the words “Kaiser,” “King,” “Monarch,” “Boyal,” “Victor,” “King Bee,” “Pillsbury’s Best” has been in those several instances judicially sanctioned as a lawful appropriation. J. & P. Baltz Brewing Co. v. Kaiserbrauerei, Beck & Co., 20 C. C. A. 402, 74 Fed. 222; Raymond v. Baking-Powder Co., 29 C. C. A. 245, 85 Fed. 231; Sarrazin v. Tobacco Co., 35 C. C. A. 496, 93 Fed. 624; Pillsbury v. Flour-Mills Co., 12 C. C. A. 432, 64 Fed. 841. It is true that in the case of Beadleston & Woerz v. Cooke Brewing Co., 20 C. C. A. 405, 74 Fed. 229, according to the syllabus, the word “Imperial” was, in the circumstances of that case, held to be so far a designation of quality as to be incapable of exclusive appropriation. It' must be admitted that at first blush such ruling seems not in harmony with the other cases upon the subject. But the conclusion was based upon references showing the extensive public use of the word to denote great excellence, and it was thought the peculiar manner in which the word was associated with others in branding the complainant’s goods indicated that in its context the word signified quality, rather than the manufacturer. One of the judges dissented from the view that the word was not capable of appropriation, though agreeing with the result in that case. But the same court, in the case of Raymond v. Baking-Powder Co., above cited, subsequently held that the word “Boyal” had been lawfully appropriated as the trade-name for manufacturing and selling baking powder, and the court distinguishes its decision in the case of Beadleston & Woerz v. Cooke Brewing Co. upon grounds which harmonize that case with the current of decisions by emphasizing the fact that in that case the word “Imperial”, was used in such association with other words as to negative the idea that it was not meant mainly to designate quality. In the case of Proctor & Gamble Co. v. Globe Refining Co., 34 C. C. A. 405, 92 Fed. 357, [379]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Johnston v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
187 P.2d 474 (California Court of Appeal, 1947)
Bunte Bros. v. Standard Chocolates, Inc.
45 F. Supp. 478 (D. Massachusetts, 1942)
American Dirigold Corp. v. Dirigold Metals Corp.
125 F.2d 446 (Sixth Circuit, 1942)
Hemmeter Cigar Co. v. Congress Cigar Co.
118 F.2d 64 (Sixth Circuit, 1941)
Queen Mfg. Co. v. Isaac Ginsberg & Bros.
25 F.2d 284 (Eighth Circuit, 1928)
Armour & Co. v. Louisville Provision Co.
283 F. 42 (Sixth Circuit, 1922)
Ammon v. Narragansett Dairy Co.
252 F. 276 (D. Rhode Island, 1918)
Lowe Bros. Co. v. Toledo Varnish Co.
168 F. 627 (Sixth Circuit, 1909)
Thomas G. Plant Co. v. May Mercantile Co.
153 F. 229 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Eastern Missouri, 1907)
Dennison Mfg. Co. v. Scharf Tag, Label & Box Co.
135 F. 625 (Sixth Circuit, 1905)
Welsbach Light Co. v. Adam
107 F. 463 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western New York, 1901)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
105 F. 375, 12 Ohio F. Dec. 151, 1900 U.S. App. LEXIS 3834, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-g-plant-co-v-may-co-ca6-1900.