Williams v. Ferguson

104 So. 2d 267, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2385, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 618
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 20, 1958
DocketNo. 8820
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 104 So. 2d 267 (Williams v. Ferguson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Ferguson, 104 So. 2d 267, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2385, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 618 (La. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

AYRES, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment sustaining an exception to the jurisdiction of the court ratione materiae and dismissing plaintiffs’ suit. The plaintiffs are Local 369, Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America, its Special Trustee, and various members thereof. The defendants are Local 369 of the American Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union, AFI^CIO and various members thereof. By this action plaintiffs seek to enjoin the defendants and all persons acting for and in their behalf primarily from using the name “Local 369.”

Defendants’ exception is predicated (1) upon the contention that this action involves a labor dispute or a dispute concerning collective bargaining, jurisdiction whereof is vested exclusively in the National Labor Relations Board under the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S. C.A. §§ 141-159, and (2) that injunctive [269]*269relief is prohibited under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 23:841 et seq. The position of the plaintiff is that neither a labor dispute nor collective bargaining is involved but that the action involves only a property right of the plaintiffs, protection of which is sought in this proceeding, and that, as a consequence, neither the aforesaid federal act nor the state statute has any application, whereas defendants claim the subject-matter of this litigation has been held to come within a field pre-empted by the aforesaid federal statute and consequently the court is without jurisdiction. It is now well established, however, and it is conceded by plaintiffs, that in matters or activities either protected or prohibited by the provisions of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (29 U.S.C.A. § 141 et seq.) the jurisdiction of the courts has been pre-empted and the primary jurisdiction vested in the National Labor Relations Board under the authority conferred by the aforesaid statute. Weber v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 348 U.S. 468, 75 S.Ct. 480-484, 99 L.Ed. 546; Garner v. Teamsters, Chauffeurs & Helpers Local Union No. 776, (A.F.L.), 346 U.S. 485, 74 S.Ct. 161, 98 L.Ed. 228; Miss. Valley Elec. Co. v. General Truck Drivers etc., 229 La. 37, 85 So.2d 22.

First logically for consideration is the subject-matter of plaintiffs’ complaint and, secondly, whether such matter, or matters, may be reasonably deemed to come within either the protection or prohibition of the Labor Management Relations Act. For ascertainment of the nature of this issue, reference must be first made to plaintiffs’ petition. From this it would appear that petitioners’ Local 369, Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America, as an unincorporated association chartered as a subordinate affiliate local union of the Bakery Confectionery Workers International Union of America, has existed for more than 30 years and is well known in this area under and by the designation as “Local 369” of the Bakery and Confectionery Workers; that the International Union under which plaintiffs’ Local is governed has a membership exceeding 150,000 and is domiciled in the City of Washington; that under the authority of the provisions of the constitution of the International Union the former officers of the aforesaid Local were superseded by one of petitioners, A. L. Roberts, as Special Trustee; that the defendants, two of whom are former officers of plaintiffs’ local, superseded by the aforesaid Special Trustee, while officers or members thereof, conspired to effect a dissolution of Local 369 and subsequently organized and have become affiliated with a newly organized union known as the American Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, which has also been designated Local 369.

For these reasons plaintiffs assert that their Local 369, as well as its members and representatives, has a property right in and to the use of the name “Local 369” and all the derivations thereof, which have been acquired by long and constant use and at great cost and expense. This name and number the defendant Union is alleged to have appropriated to its own use and that of its officers and members.

It could hardly be disputed there is a property right in a name used over a considerable period of time in which business has been conducted and under which good will and reputation have been established. There are instances where trade names have acquired a secondary meaning so closely in the mind of the public as applying to one business or to one product that its use by competitors for the purposes of unfair competition would be prevented by equitable means of injunction. Speaker v. Shler Co., 7 Cir., 87 F.2d 985. Where a trade name has acquired such significance in the minds of the public as applying to one business, equity will restrain the use of a name so similar as to confuse and mislead the public to the first user’s injury. It is not necessary, however, that the second user employing the name which interferes with [270]*270another’s prior right should have adopted such name with the intent to deceive the public or to injure the other. The consequences, and not the motive, are controlling. Household Finance Corp. v. General Household Credit Corp., D.C., 49 F.Supp. 541. See also Huth v. Rosenzweig, La.App., 27 So.2d 742, 744.

Applicable is the general rule stated in 4 Am.Jur., p. 479, “Associations and Clubs”, § 37:

“The prevailing doctrine is that an unincorporated benevolent, fraternal, or social organization is entitled to protection against the use of its name by another organization and may resort to injunctive relief to restrain the use of its name by others, unless a right is lost by acquiescence and laches.
“ * * * Not even seceders from the parent body may thus usurp the name of the unincorporated society.”

It was also stated:

“ * * * an association may enjoin the use or appropriation of its name or insignia.” 4 Am.Jur., p. 478, “Associations and Clubs”, § 36.

The jurisprudence in Louisiana is substantially the same. For instance, in Marcev v. Mandich, 158 La. 15, 18, 103 So. 389, 390, wherein the owner of a restaurant and . . •» cafe business, which he had operated for a number of years under the name of “Marble Hall Branch” at 802 North Rampart Street in New Orleans, sought an injunction against the defendants from conducting a similar business two blocks down the street under the name of “Marble Hall Branch No. 3”, the court stated:

“It is unnecessary to cite authority, of which there is no end, holding that trade-names will be protected against unfair use, simulation, or imitation.”

Likewise, in Yellow Cab Co. of New Orleans, Inc., v. Jones, 156 La. 837, 838, 101 So. 216, 217, the plaintiff instituted an action to enjoin and prohibit defendant from operating a yellow cab for the purpose of unfair trade competition. In affirming a judgment granting an injunction, the court stated:

“While unfairness and fraud is the basis of the action, it is not always required that there should be a malicious purpose to injure, but the question may be determined on the presumption that every person must be understood to have intended to do and abide by that which is the natural and probable conduct of his own act deliberately done.

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Bluebook (online)
104 So. 2d 267, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2385, 1958 La. App. LEXIS 618, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-ferguson-lactapp-1958.