A CURIOUS CASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1496, 24 March 1885, Page 2

A CURIOUS CASE.

Wblli gxon, Last Night. At the Supreme Court to-day, the suit of Littlejohn v Mulligan, claim L 250 damages, for alleged infringement of patent rights, was heard. Mr Shaw appeared tor the plaintiff, and Mr Stafford for the defendant. Mr Shaw opened the case for plaintiff He said the case was one of some peculiarity, and not altogether free from difficulty. The plaintiff was a well-known jeweller and watchmaker in Wellington, and sought to restrain the de

fendant from selling watches bearing plaintiff’s name. It was admitted that defendant did sell a watch bearing plaintiff’s name, and plaintiff proposed to prove that the watch sold by defendant was of vastly inferior quality to any which Mr Littlejohn would allow to go out of his shop. Evidence was called, proving that defendant had in his possession watches bearing plaintiff's name, which had not been made by Littlejohn, Plaintiff said the result of selling such watches bearing the name of his firm would ruin his business. Defendant, who came out recently from England, said that since his return he had had auction sales of watches and jewellery in Auckland and Wellington. Mr Stafford, for the defence, called no witnesses, but said he would like to be heard on the question of law In Chambers, riis Honor did not apprehend any difficulty in dealing with the case. He expressed an opinion that the reputation of Messrs Lit lejohn and Son had not been injured in the in reference to the matter. The case was not one iqt heavy damages. Ihe case was then reserved for further considerat on.