Case Name: PRIETH et al. v. CAMPBELL PRINTING-PRESS & MANUF'G CO.
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1897-03-22
Citations: 80 F. 539
Docket Number: No. 9
Parties: PRIETH et al. v. CAMPBELL PRINTING-PRESS & MANUF’G CO.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter
Volume: 80
Pages: 539–540

Head Matter:
PRIETH et al. v. CAMPBELL PRINTING-PRESS & MANUF’G CO.
(Circuit Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.
March 22, 1897.)
No. 9.
Preliminary Injunction—Patent Cases—Decisions in Other Circuits.
Where a preliminary injunction has been granted solely on the strength of a decision in another circuit, and thereafter the judgment in the latter case is reversed and vacated by the circuit court of appeals, and the hill ordered to he dismissed, even because of an accord and satisfaction, this so changes the status of affairs that the preliminary injunction will be dissolved on an appeal therefrom.
Appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of New Jersey.
This was a suit in equity by the Campbell Printing-Press & Manufacturing Company against Theodora Prieth, Edmund S. Prieth, and Benedict Prieth, for alleged infringement of letters patent Uo. 376,-053, issued January 3, 1888, to John H. Stonemetz, for an improvement in printing presses. The court below granted a preliminary injunction, on the strength of a decision by the circuit court for the district of Massachusetts (64 Fed. 782) sustaining the patent. 77 Fed. 976. From the order granting said injunction the defendants have appealed.
Arthur E. Dowell, for appellants.
Louis W. Southgate, for appellee.
Before ACHE SOU and DALLAS, Circuit Judges, and BUFFLNGTOU, District Judge.

Opinion:
ACHESON, Circuit Judge.
The interlocutory order granting an injunction, which is the subject-matter of this appeal, was based altogether upon the adjudication on the patent in suit by the United States circuit court for the district of Massachusetts in the case of Manufacturing Co. v. Marden, 64 Fed. 782; the court below declining to consider any question involving the regularity and validity of that adjudication. The learned judge below in his 'opinion said:
"So long as the decree of the circuit court of the district of Massachusetts stands unrevoked and unmodified, the comity which exists between federal •courts justifies this court, upon an application of this kind, in accepting its conclusions." 77 Fed. 976.
Uow, pending this appeal,—on March 9, 1897,—the United States, circuit court of appeals for the First circuit reversed the decree of the circuit court for the district of Massachusetts, and directed the dismissal of the bill of complaint there. The decree of the court of appeals, as appears from a duly-certified copy filed in this court, is in the words following:
"The petition for a rehearing is granted, and, having been fully heard, the judgment heretofore entered is vacated, the decree of the circuit court is reversed, and the case is remanded to that court, with directions to dismiss the bill because of accord and satisfaction, and without costs to either party in •either court."
This latter decree, while not decisive of the merits of the controversy, nevertheless deprives the adjudication of the circuit court of the district of Massachusetts of the conclusive effect which the court below felt constrained to give to it; and, in view of the changed condition of the litigation touching this patent, we are of the opinion that the appellants should be relieved from preliminary injunction. It is therefore ordered and decreed that the injunction granted by the circuit court against the appellants be, and the same is, dissolved, with costs in this court to the appellants.