Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Saxlehner v. Siegel-Cooper Co.

Saxlehner v. Siegel-Cooper Co., 179 U.S. 42 (1900)

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1900-10-15
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • holding that one defendant "should not be required to account for gains and profits" when it "appear[ed] to have acted in good faith"

Citator

UpLaw has not yet analyzed Saxlehner v. Siegel-Cooper Co.. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.

Cited by
41 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Trademark Law — Infringement An injunction against trademark infringement may issue against all infringing defendants even where their sales were small and no fraud was shown. 179 U.S. at 45
  2. Trademark Law — Infringement An infringer that acted in good faith in committing the infringement is not thereby exonerated from liability for an injunction, though good faith may bear on whether the infringer must account for gains and profits. 179 U.S. at 45
  3. Trademark Law — Accounting for Profits An infringing retail seller shown to have acted in good faith, and infringers whose sales were small, need not be required to account for gains and profits. 179 U.S. at 44–45
  4. Trademark Law — Palming Off Store clerks who, in response to a customer's request for one brand of goods, wrap and deliver another brand, thereby palming off one product for the other, commit trademark infringement. 179 U.S. at 44
SAXLEHNERv. SIEGEL-COOPER COMPANY,179 U.S. 42(1900)
21 S.Ct. 16
SAXLEHNERv. SIEGEL-COOPER COMPANY.
SAXLEHNERv. GIES.
SAXLEHNERv. MARQUET.
CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT.
Nos. 30, 31, 32.
Argued March 22, 23, 1900.
Decided October 15, 1900.
These cases were argued with No. 29,ante, 40. The answer in them was substantially the same as in that case, and the same record of proofs was used.Heldthat an injunction should issue against all the defendants, but as the Siegel-Cooper Company acted in good faith it should not be required to account for gains and profits.
THE case is stated in the opinion.
Counsel were the same as in No. 29.
MR. JUSTICE BROWN delivered the opinion of the court.
These three cases were brought against retail dealers, and defended by the Eisner and Mendelson Company, who imported and furnished the defendants with the water sold by them. The bills charged the defendants generally with unlawfully selling bitter water under labels simulating Saxlehner's blue and red label, and under the name "Hunyadi." The answer was substantially the same as that in the main case, and the same record of proofs was used.

In the case against the Siegel-Cooper Company there was no charge of an intentional fraud, and the court found there was no evidence of fraudulent conduct on its part, and dismissed the bill as to that company. As to the other two cases the court found that the clerks in charge of their stores, in response to special requests for Janos water, wrapped up and delivered Matyas water purchased of the Eisner and Mendelson Company. In other words that they had palmed off the one for the other.

We think that an injunction should issue against all these defendants, but that, as the Siegel-Cooper Company appears toPage 43have acted in good faith, and the sales of the others were small, they should not be required to account for gains and profits. The fact that the Siegel-Cooper Company acted innocently does not exonerate it from the charge of infringement.Moetv.Couston, 33 Beav. 578;Millingtonv.Fox, 3 Myl. Cr. 338;Edelstenv.Edelsten, 1 De Gex, J. S. 185; Brown on Trade Marks, § 386.The decree of the Circuit Court of Appeals in these cases arealso reversed, and the cases remanded to the Circuit Court forthe Southern District of New York for further proceedings, etc.