Opinion ID: 1481462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hungarian Company.

Text: There are three facts which bear on the Hungarian Company's claim of ownership of the trade-mark. Thereafter the question is one of law. These are: (1) Ownership by the Hungarian Company when an enemy; (2) license for the use of the trade-mark by the Federal Trade Commission before seizure; (3) its seizure by the Alien Property Custodian subject to the license. In a situation embracing, mutatis mutandis, the first and last facts, the Supreme Court has rendered a decision which in our judgment rules the instant question. That was in United States v. Chemical Foundation, 47 S. Ct. 1, 71 L. Ed. ___, affirming this court, 5 F.(2d) 191, which in turn affirmed the District Court, 294 F. 300. That case concerned the validity of sales of enemy-owned patents and trade-marks made by the Custodian after seizure. Paraphrasing its language somewhat, the Supreme Court said: The former enemy owners have no claim against the trade-marks or the proceeds derived from the sales. The provision of the Act that after the war enemy claims shall be settled as Congress shall direct conferred no rights upon such owners. Moreover, the Treaty of Budapest and the Treaty of Trianon prevent the enforcement of any claim by Austria-Hungary or its nationals against the United States or its nationals on account of the seizures and sales in question. From this it is clear that the Hungarian Company, when the Custodian seized its trade-mark, parted with its ownership and also with its claim to the proceeds of the license for its use. We hold that at the time this suit was brought the Hungarian Company was not the owner within the meaning of section 10 (f) of the Act.