United States v. Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.

105 F. Supp. 215, 93 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 360, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4635, 1952 Trade Cas. (CCH) 67,282
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 16, 1952
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 105 F. Supp. 215 (United States v. Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., 105 F. Supp. 215, 93 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 360, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4635, 1952 Trade Cas. (CCH) 67,282 (S.D.N.Y. 1952).

Opinion

RYAN, District Judge.

We now approach the task of formulating a final decree designed to prevent and restrain the violations of law which we have found. 15 U.S.C.A. § 4.

Our objective is to fashion, in the terms of a decree, means by which the agreement found to exist is terminated, its revival prevented and its effects destroyed by the reestablishment of competitive conditions insofar as they pertain to United States exports and imports. The decree must be based upon the facts as we have found them, and designed to be carried out with a minimum of judicial supervision and control of the future activities of the defendants. Cf. United States v. N. Y. Coffee & Sugar Exchange, 1924, 263 U.S. 611, 44 S.Ct. 225, 68 L.Ed. 475.

Where competition • has been eliminated, it must be restored. Only those provisions reasonably necessary to accomplish correction and adjustment of a dislocated competitive situation may be applied.

The essence of the violation found was the unlawful agreement to divide world territories. It was this enduring and basic understanding which was fundamental to all of the dealings of the conspirators. It was to accomplish this purpose and end that the various means were adopted.

■ [2] The decree will contain injunctions prohibiting agreements and arrangements between the defendants dividing territory and allocating customers and markets so as to unlawfully limit the commerce of the United States. DuPont shall not be permitted to make agreements restraining their exports throughout the world, and particularly to those markets which have been previously assigned to ICI as its exclusive territory, and to those countries in which the jointly-owned companies functioned. DuPont shall file with the court annually for a period of five years reports showing specifically the nature and, extent of their efforts to increase their foreign trade.

We shall retain jurisdiction over all the defendants for a period of five years after the entry of judgment for the purpose of enabling the court to either modify the relief granted or to grant such other or additional relief required to accomplish the purpose of the decree and to terminate the restraints on United States trade and commerce which have been or during that period are found to have been created or imposed by acts of the defendants or any of them.

The final decree will contain general injunctive provisions directed to the defendants which are calculated to prevent effectively a continuance or revival of the agreements and understanding between ICI and duPont. The decree, however, must contain additional provisions to implement these injunctive directions, so that they are made probable of observance. The jointly-owned companies and the patents, processes and technologies of the defendants must be brought within the scope of the judgment. ,

The physical properties and stockholdings in the jointly-owned companies constituted part of the means by which the unlawful agreement to divide world trade was brought to fruition.

The restraints sought to be accomplished were achieved also in part by the patents and processes agreements. The patents held by the defendants did not give them control of all the products covered by their understanding; as to many products, control resided in their technology and trade know-how. As to other products, control was possible because of the size of their industrial and selling organizations, and the foothold they enjoyed in the markets divided. This placed them in a position where acting jointly it was possible for *221 them to meet and regulate, if not overcome, the competition offered by others.

It was not required of the Government to establish that the defendants had power to control the markets they agreed to divide and allocate, since the suit was filed for violation of Section 1, 15 U.S. C.A. § 1. American Tobacco v. United States, 1946, 328 U.S. 781, 809, 66 S.Ct. 1125, 90 L.Ed. 1575. Although this is so, we must in determining the extent of the restraints give consideration to the position of dominance held by the defendants. We conclude that restraints must be imposed upon not only the exercise of the patent monopolies but also with respect to technology and know-how, as well as their commercial activities.

We shall first consider the extent of the relief which is to be granted with respect to patents and technology.

While the maintenance of a competitive economy is of prime importance, we may not seek to achieve that end by unwarranted judicial whittling down of patent rights or by the insertion in the decree of provisions for which there is no support in law.

We have found that the exchange of patents, processes and know-how served as direct instruments used by the conspirators to achieve their unlawful purpose.

A patentee may, if he sees fit, reserve to himself the exclusive use of the discovery or he may license those of his own choice and selection to use it. But evil lies in the illegal use of this lawful right; by concert of action between the conspirators the full and complete exploitation of the patents was prevented by the allocation of territories and agreed restraints placed upon the employment of the patents. The rights of the patentees were exercised for a purpose not intended by our patent laws and in derogation of vested and paramount rights of the public. Such misuse of the patent renders the future use of those rights subject to and amenable to judicial control to prevent a continued or new abuse. The misuse of. a patent may result in denial of relief to the patentee whether he proceeds against a direct or contributory infringer, Katzinger Co. v. Chicago Metallic Mfg. Co., 1947, 329 U.S. 394, 67 S.Ct. 416, 91 L.Ed. 374; but see, Bruce’s Juices v. American Can Co., 1947, 330 U.S. 743, 67 S.Ct. 1015, 91 L.Ed. 1219, on availability of defense of violation of anti-trust law in actions on a contract. In private litigation misuse of patents in anti-trust violation constitutes a defense which may be pleaded; in litigation instituted by the Government such misuse affords basis for injunctive relief of both a restrictive and mandatory nature; in neither may the misuse result in a judgment of forfeiture of all patent rights. “The limited monopolies granted to patent owners do not exempt them from the prohibitions of the Sherman Act and supplementary legislation.” Standard Oil Co. v. United States, 1931, 283 U.S. 163, 169, 51 S.Ct. 421, 423, 75 L.Ed. 926.

We do not accept as correct the proposition that compulsory license of United States patents is appropriate only in those instances where required to remove specific restraints upon the manufacture and sale of specified products in the United States caused by the unlawful use of patents to suppress domestic competition. To do so would be to make nugatory the dual aspects of our anti-trust laws, which make unlawful restraints, placed upon our foreign trade as well as our domestic commerce.

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105 F. Supp. 215, 93 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 360, 1952 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4635, 1952 Trade Cas. (CCH) 67,282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-imperial-chemical-industries-ltd-nysd-1952.