Court Opinion

ID: 9449031
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 23:53:12.875624+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:39.518696
License: Public Domain

BREITENSTEIN, Circuit Judge
(concurring specially).
The Tenth Circuit is committed to the principle that the issue of confusing similarity in trade-mark and trade name cases presents a question of fact and that the findings of the trier of the facts in regard thereto are binding on appeal unless clearly erroneous.
“Heritage” is a dictionary word in common usage. For the appellant to have a monopoly on its use, the word must have attained a secondary meaning which identifies the products of the appellant. Evidence in this regard is far from satisfactory. Be that as it may, the record contains no direct evidence of confusion and its presence or absence must be inferred. If either inference is reasonable, we may not substitute our views for those of the trial court. In my opinion the record is sufficient to sustain a finding, based on a reasonable inference, that the use of the name “Heritage House” by this small furniture store in a small Kansas town was not likely to, and did not, cause confusion in the trade or in the public mind.