Source: http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/170/449/503012/
Timestamp: 2013-05-24 02:34:00
Document Index: 555465368

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 342', '§ 1125', '§ 1117', '§ 1117', '§ 1118']

170 F.3d 449: Ringling Bros.-barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Incorporated,plaintiff-appellant, v. Utah Division of Travel Development, Defendant-appellee :: US Court of Appeals Cases :: Justia
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170 F.3d 449: Ringling Bros.-barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Incorporated,plaintiff-appellant, v. Utah Division of Travel Development, Defendant-appellee
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. - 170 F.3d 449
Argued Sept. 29, 1997.Decided March 16, 1999
1 We need not, therefore, delve into the difficult question of how conceptually to fit tarnishment within a theory of dilution. See generally Beverly W. Pattishall, Dawning Acceptance of the Dilution Rationale For Trade-Mark Identity Protection, 74 Trademark Rep. 289, 306-07(1984) (suggesting that tarnishment is "largely unrelated to the dilution concept")
2 Two earlier unsuccessful attempts had been made to enact a federal dilution statute. The first was in 1932 with a bill advanced by Schechter. See H.R. 11592, 72d Cong. § 2(d)(3) (1932); Walter J. Derenberg, The Problem of Trademark Dilution and the Antidilution Statutes, 44 Cal. L. Rev. 439, 449 (1956) (quoting Schechter's testimony in hearings before the House Committee on Patents). The second attempt did not come until 1988, as a proposed amendment to the Lanham Act. See David S. Welkowitz, Reexamining Trademark Dilution, 44 Vand. L. Rev. 531, 537(1991) (discussing the fate of the 1988 bill)
3 And led some avowed critics of the whole dilution concept to express doubt that it can be given principled, enforceable legal form. See, e.g., Kenneth L. Port, The "Unnatural" Expansion of Trademark Rights: Is a Federal Dilution Statute Necessary, 18 Seton Hall Legis. J. 433, 447 (1994) (opining that experience with the state statutes demonstrates that legislation attempting to codify the concept creates "a remedy without a wrong")
4 These decisions do not employ the language of evidentiary "presumption" but, as their rationales and results plainly indicate, that is the process being employed to find "likelihood of dilution." And, though it is not of particular moment to our discussion, the presumptions they apply are seemingly of the "conclusive" variety. The courts' analyses contain no hint that a dilution defendant might rebut the presumptions they apply. And, the practical effect of the presumptions is to create the substantive rule that any replication of a famous mark is a violation of the antidilution statute. See 2 McCormick on Evidence § 342, at 451 (John William Strong ed., 4th ed.1992) (pointing out these as the identifying factors of "conclusive" presumptions) [hereinafter 2 McCormick ]
5 Ringling claims that exact interpretation for the Act where identical marks are involved. Relying on that portion of the legislative history explaining that "the use of DUPONT shoes, BUICK aspirin, and KODAK pianos would be actionable under the [Act]," Ringling asserts that this indicates that in such cases the required "mental association" is"presumed." (Appellant's Br. at 14 quoting (H.R.Rep. No. 104-374, at 3 (1995))). Coupled with Ringling's consistently maintained position that "mental association" equals "dilution," the two in tandem would come to property rights in gross in this narrow circumstance. We need express no view on the significance of this excerpt from legislative history in that circumstance. As Ringling recognizes, it speaks directly only to the effect of an identical replication which is not involved in this case
6 A number of commentators have noted this key difference between the federal Act and the preexisting state antidilution statutes. See Eric A. Prager, The Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995: Substantial Likelihood of Confusion, 7 Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L. J. 121, 130-36 (1996); Patrick M. Bible, Defining and Quantifying Dilution under the Trademark Dilution Act of 1995: Using Survey Evidence to Show Actual Dilution, 70 U. Colo. L. Rev. 295, 307-08 (1999) [hereinafter Bible, Defining and Quantifying Dilution ]; Lori Krafte-Jacobs, Judicial Interpretation of the Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995, 66 U. Cin. L. Rev. 659, 668 (1998). Few, however, go on to offer an opinion on how or whether such a difference affects interpretation of the federal statute. Those that do are hopelessly divided on this fundamental interpretive issue, asserting their flatly opposing interpretations with equally magisterial assurance but with no helpful analysis of text
7 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c)(2) provides that if willful intent is proven, in addition to an injunction, the dilution plaintiff is entitled to the remedies set forth in 15 U.S.C. §§ 1117(a) and 1118. Section 1117(a) provides for the recovery of (1) defendant's profits, (2) any damages sustained by the plaintiff, and (3) the costs of the action. See 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a). Section 1118 provides for destruction of the offending articles. See id. § 1118
8 In the district court, Ringling "conceded that the value of its mark for licensing had not diminished and that it had no evidence of damages." 955 F.Supp. at 605