United States Consol. Seeded Raisin Co. v. Griffin & Skelley Co.

• Decision Date: 09 November 1903
• Docket Number: 929.
• Citation: 126 F. 364
• Parties: UNITED STATES CONSOLIDATED SEEDED RAISIN CO. v. GRIFFIN & SKELLEY CO.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

126 F. 364

UNITED STATES CONSOLIDATED SEEDED RAISIN CO. v. GRIFFIN & SKELLEY CO.

No. 929.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

November 9, 1903

The plaintiff in error is a corporation created under the laws of New York. Prior to June 26, 1900, it was the owner of two certain patents for machines for seeding and processing raisins. Other persons and corporations at Fresno, Cal engaged in the raisin-seeding business, owned certain other patents. Litigation had arisen between the owners of these patents. To end this litigation, and to avoid it in the future, an agreement was made on June 26, 1900, between the plaintiff in error, as the party of the first part, and the Forsyth Raisin Process Company, the Forsyth Seeded Raisin Company, the Griffin & Skelley Company, the California Seeding Machine Company, William M. Griffin, Thomas E Langley, Cary S. Cox and Lee L. Gray as parties of the second part. The agreement recites that the party of the first part is the owner of patents numbered 543,833 and 543,834, and that the parties of the second part own patents numbered 611,782, 641,938, 641,939, 614,178, 592,131, 602,698 619,698, and 679,223, and that it is deemed expedient and for the interest of all parties that all of said letters patent be combined for mutual protection and assistance. It thereupon provides, in substance, that the parties of the second part shall assign their various patents to the party of the first part, and that the latter shall use every reasonable effort to defend and protect the several inventions and letters patent in the interest of all, and that it shall grant licenses under said patents, institute and defend suits to protect said inventions and letters patent. The agreement provides further that the royalties which shall be received on license contracts shall, after the deduction of expenses and other charges, as provided for in the agreement, be paid 40 per cent. to the plaintiff in error on account of its patents, 30 per cent. to the Forsyth Raisin Process Company on account of its patent, 20 per cent. to the present owners of letters patent 619,698, 6 per cent. to Thomas E. Langley and C. S. Cox, and 4 per cent. to the California Seeding Machine Company. The agreement provides for an appointment of an advisory committee of four members, two to be designated by the party of the first part, and two by the parties of the second part; said committee to have authority to determine to whom licenses shall be granted under the letters patent, the terms and conditions thereof; and it gives the committee power to employ a financial agent, whose duty it shall be to collect and distribute the royalties under such licenses. The agreement makes further provision for the payment of salaries of officers, taxes, and other expenses, makes reference to a suit then pending in the United States Circuit Court for the Northern District of California by the Forsyth Raisin Process Company against A. L. Hobbs & Co. on letters patent 611,782, and provides that the same shall be prosecuted without delay at the expense of the plaintiff therein. The agreement proceeds to provide that, in case any of the said mentioned letters patent shall be judicially determined to be invalid by a court of last resort, then the share of royalties in the agreement apportioned to and on account of such letters patent shall thereafter not be paid.

The licenses issued under this agreement were all in the one form. They recited that the plaintiff in error, the licensor, is the sole owner of the letters patent referred to in the agreement; and, first, that it grants to the licensee the right to use machines and processes embodied in and covered by said letters patent throughout the United States for the life of said Patents; second, that the party of the second part shall pay therefor as license fee one-eighth of one cent for each pound of raisins seeded or processed under said letters patent during the years 1900 and 1901, and thereafter one-fourth of a cent per pound; third, that the licensor shall from time to time lease to the licensee raisin-seeding machines, processes, appliances, fittings, etc., as the same may be required, upon payment of the actual cost of the same, title to such machines, however, to remain in the licensor; fourth, that the licensee 'shall use every reasonable endeavor to secure and promote the business of raisin-seeding under this contract, shall neither sublet any of said machines, nor allow any parties, except its own employees, to have possession or control of or to use said machines; shall not use any other raisin-seeding machines during the life of this contract than those furnished by the first party, or with their consent; and shall not buy, sell, nor deal in raisins seeded or treated by any other machines or processes than those of the first party. ' The fifth provision requires the licensee to keep suitable books of account, open to the inspection of the licensor. The sixth prohibits the licensor from licensing any other party under said letters patent for less royalty or compensation than one-half a cent per pound for raisins seeded under or processed under the said patents, except with the consent of four of certain named of the licensees. The license contract contains the provision that the licensor shall vigorously prosecute infringers of said letters patent, so as to prevent, as far as possible, all unlawful interference with the business and rights of the licensee under and by virtue of the contract.

The plaintiff in error brought an action at law against the defendant in error, alleging that on June 27, 1900, one of the above-mentioned contracts of license was entered into and executed by the said parties; that thereafter, during the years 1900 and 1901, the defendant in error processed about 12,000,000 pounds of raisins, the license fees and rentals for the same, as provided for in said contract, being the sum of $15,000; that no part of said sum has been paid except $3,759.42, and that the remainder, $11,240.58, is due and unpaid. The plaintiff in error, as a second cause of action alleged that after March 15, 1901, the defendant in error willfully and maliciously, and for the purpose and intent of damaging and injuring the plaintiff in error, failed, refused, and neglected to use every or any reasonable endeavor to secure or promote the business of raisin-seeding under said contract, and did sublet and transfer certain and sundry raisin-seeding and processing machines which it owned and was operating prior to the execution of the contract of June 27, 1900, to other parties, who were not its own employees, and did authorize, permit, and allow such other parties to use the same, and did buy, sell, and deal in raisins seeded and treated by other machines and processes than those of the plaintiff in error, to its injury in the sum of $10,000. The defendant in error made its answer to this complaint by denying that it was indebted to the plaintiff in error for license fees or rentals or for damages, and alleged as matters of defense, in substance, that on February 25, 1901, the defendant in error rescinded its license contract with the plaintiff in error, and gave to it written notice thereof; and as reasons for such rescission alleged that prior to the execution of said contract it was understood and agreed between the defendant in error and the plaintiff in error that a similar contract should be entered into by the plaintiff in error with the Griffin & Skelley Company, Forsyth Seeded Raisin Company, Fresno Home Packing Company, Porter Bros. Company, Fruit Cleaning Company, Golden West Packing Company, and the Co-operative Packers' Association; that by reason of said representation the defendant in error was induced to sign said contract, and otherwise would not have signed the same, but that the plaintiff in error has wholly failed to obtain a contract with the Co-operative Packers' Association. The defendant in error, in its answer, further alleged that at the time of the execution of the contract of June 26, 1900, the plaintiff in error represented that it was the owner of patents numbered 631,938 and 631,939; that the defendant in error relied on such representation, but that thereafter it learned that the plaintiff in error did not own the said letters patent, or either of them, and on February 25, 1901, it learned that said representations were false, and that the plaintiff in error had not and would not acquire title to the said letters patent, or either of them. The answer further alleged, as ground for rescinding the contract of license, that the plaintiff in error willfully and negligently failed and refused vigorously to prosecute infringers of the letters patent enumerated in the contract of June 26, 1900, and that it did not prevent as far as possible all or any unlawful interference with the business and rights of the defendant in error under said agreement; that by reason of such failure the general public disregarded said letters patent, and without the consent of the plaintiff in error, in opposition to its rights and to the rights of the defendant in error, openly, continuously, and generally used the devices and processes covered by said letters patent without paying license fees or royalty to the plaintiff in error; that a material and chief consideration moving to said defendant in error should protect the defendant in error in its business and rights under said contract, and prevent unlawful interference with such business and rights by persons engaged in such business in competition with the defendant in error; that such consideration has utterly failed; that the plaintiff in error has failed to protect the business and rights of the defendant in error, and has permitted...