256 F. 34 | D. Mass. | 1917
The defendant has appeared specially to assert want of jurisdiction in the court, and this objection is first to be considered.
The bill charges the defendant with infringing the Harmatta patent, No. 1,046,066, which the Court of Appeals for this circuit has heretofore held valid and infringed by a Massachusetts citizen in a suit brought by Thomson Electric Welding Company against Barney & Berry, Incorporated. See 227 Fed. 428, 142 C. C. A. 124; 236 Fed. 1022, 149 C. C. A. 671. In two other suits pending in this court against Massachusetts citizens, injunctions have been issued since the above decision, as set forth in paragraphs 7-9 of the bill.
Whatever business has been since done on the defendant’s account in Boston has been done in one room, No. 404, at 261 Franklin street, in charge of George A. Bath, employed by it as salesman, who has solicited orders for its goods and has been there assisted only l>y a Miss Edwards, employed as clerk and typewriter. A few samples brought from the former place of business have been kept there, but no stock of goods.
Bath has had no authority from the defendant to accept any order for goods made to him, or to make any sale, whether for cash or on credit. All orders received by him have been forwarded to the de
So long as it followed in Boston only the course of business above described, I do not think the defendant can be said to have been doing business at the Franklin street office in the necessary sense. Its representative there found only 'took and forwarded orders to its home office in New York for acceptance or rejection. Green v. Chicago, etc., Co., 205 U. S. 530, 27 Sup. Ct. 595, 51 L. Ed. 916; Tyler Co. v. Ludlow-Saylor, etc., Co., 236 U. S. 723, 35 Sup. Ct. 458, 59 L. Ed. 808; General, etc., Co. v. Best (D. C.) 220 Fed. 347. That his authority from the defendant enabled him to complete transactions there on its behalf, or to represent it there in negotiations so as to bind it, as in St Louis, etc., Co. v. Alexander, 227 U. S. 218, 33 Sup. Ct. 245, 57 L. Ed. 486, Ann. Cas. 1915B, 77, does not appear, nor that he ever assumed to exercise such authority there. Only in the solitary instance below, considered is there any claim that said course of business was departed from in any respect.
If the above conclusion is wrong, and the business done as above in Massachusetts is to be regarded as sufficient in character to make it liable to service of process therein, I see no reason to doubt that the requirement of a regular and established place of 'business is satisfied. The defendant’s name appeared in full on the office door, with “George A. Bath, Manager,” following. Its name appeared also in the directory at the entrance of the building as occupant- of the office, and in the telephone directory as having its telephone address there. There is no claim that the office was shared with any one else. Whether the defendant or Bath was lessee of the office does not appear, but, although Bath advanced the monthly rent as it fell due, the defendant reimbursed him in their next monthly accounting for office expenses. But these facts go no further, in my view, than to show a regular and
A sale of infringing articles may no doubt be proof of infringement, such as will warrant a preliminary injunction, notwithstanding that it has been induced and procured by the plaintiff, who cannot, for that reason, claim to have been damaged by it. But this is because of its tendency to show a regular course of business involving infringement and an intent to infringe. Chicago, etc., Co. v. Philadelphia, etc., Co. (C. C.) 118 Fed. 852; Badische, etc., Co. v. Klipstein (C. C.) 125 Fed. 556; Dick v. Henry (C. C.) 149 Fed. 429, 430; Kessler, etc., Co. v. Goldstrom, 177 Fed. 392, 394, 101 C. C. A. 476. The circumstances attending this alleged infringing sale prevent me from regarding it as rending vo show any such course of business or any such intent; and I should not, therefore, consider it sufficient ground for a preliminary injunction, supposing jurisdiction to exist. Nor can I consider it proof of a completed infringing sale made in Massachusetts. Though he left the money with Miss Edwards, who had no authority from the defendant to take it, I think her statement that she would have to submit the order required Bandéele to understand that the company was still at liberty to refuse both the order and the money. I do not agree w’*h the plaintiff that her receipt of the money “nullified and set aside’'
3. It follows that the service of the subpoena, which was by copy delivered to “George A. Bath, manager,” at the office referred to, cannot be held due service on the defendant. Though representing the defendant there for certain purposes, Bath is not shown to have been its agent in the sense required by section 48.
4. These conclusions require allowance of the motions to quash and to dismiss. Jurisdiction not appearing, of course, no injunction is to issue. It is obviously better, as was remarked in General, etc., Co. v. Best, etc., Co. (D. C.) 220 Fed. 348, that such litigation should be conducted before a court whose jurisdiction is not open to the possibility of successful challenge. Since the first-named plaintiff and the defendant are both New York citizens, such a court is readily accessible.
Decrees in accordance with the above may be submitted. The dismissal ordered, being for want of jurisdiction, is to be without costs.