SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 922, 15 September 1910, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

THE ELEPHANT AND:THE PALM " TREE. ■' TRADE-MARK DEVICE. . Mr. Justice , Chapman was engaged in Chambers, yesterday, with the hearing.of a phase of a trade-mark dispute in which 'i'hos. Bajr and Sons,; tobacco manufacturers, London, seek for . a reversalof a decision of the Registrar of Patents at Wellington in- June last,,refusing, registration. to , a trade-mark device .of an elephant .and. a palm .tree, on the ground of a prior registration of a similar trade mark, by David Dunlop; of Petersburg, Virginia, United States of Amerieu. ■ V , Mr. M. Myers appeared on behalf of Messrs. Buir, ..Mr. .'J\. Nrave (Crown Law Department) for the Registrar of Patents, and Mr/Kenneth Kirkcalclie for the present..registered 'proprietor of the trade, mark, , Mr.7 Dunlop. , Mr. Myers stated thatthe matter came before his Honour . now, not for the pur- ' pose 'of having tho petition;, of .his clients heurd ; and determined—because Mr. Kirlc-. caldie was hot' in a position' to place his client's, view 'properly before the Court,. Mr. Dunlop ribt being resident 'here 'or commercially represented—but lor. tJio purpose - of seeking -a direction that the •Registrar'should, advertise the application : pending the hearing of the petition. ; The position wns rather a peculiar 1 one in New Zealand, although a similar, position had' arisen in Under. Section'. 73 of ", the Trade" Mark : -Act,' it was provided that except, whore two : or more persons .were.'entitled to..register, for 'the same..trade' mark, the. should, not/register 'u traao mark ideiiti- v cal. with one,'already, on tho. . register. -What had happened in: the present case, according' to'. tho petitioners,,; was' .' that prior to Ja,tniafy;l, 1900, when the new! Act of ;188 l J , came' into' operation,. they had been - using the, trade mark in question very .largely in Great Britain', and also,; to : a. fairly substantial' extent,/ ill; New Zealand—at ,all .events; quite suffl--. eiently, to constitute. user'in New Zealand. That user had taken place for at. least two years'. before the/coming into force of- the' new/'law., In; 1897 Mi. Dun-: .lop ; ,had; applied for and obtained a ; certificate .of . registration. in', respect ' of- 'a trade mark. lis, nearly as iiossiblo the same as that; which the petitioners had been using, : sinco^lßßß.^': His:; Honour:,.' Had .he ,bceii, using it' nere? • . .. v ' ; :

'■■[ Mr.MyorsiiNo, air... He did;not allege prior Suser,' biit : he registered his", trado : mark, in:; 1B97; v'lt',' was substantially ft representation.of- an elephant and' n palm tree,' and that was the, trade > markwhich, the, petitioners' had been; using .'since. IKPS in respect■' of the .same article—tobacco.: It'Va's'not until lately that the'-petitipii-; er's'mado formal application.to the..Rcgistrar here for'registration; hiid tht ■; Regis-.-trar, was;doubtful: as to .what coiirsu'-hc' bught.tp' adopt,.but;"eventually'''he'.'took: a', course,, which' 'seems- to -bo' the : right; course, 'of.' saying:' "I;; cannot'.; registeryour;trade,mark at".the-present. timi;,:lje-. cause' there is '■ a'- similar one; oh.'. the. register in respect ~to-: t he; same oluss; of: goods,but. there is-a-, provision in. the statuto ; by -which .'I'T can'.register. :your .trade' .uiiu. on the 'register. • vThis ,is,a petition,, which dt.' appeal.-from, the Registrar's.,decision, that -Registrar' should register our trade mark,::and we-bare'alßO";inclndcd:;a' pruyer..foi':,thß. rectification". of ■'/ the register; sby "expung-: ,ing the', trade '.'Mr.' :Sunlop ; ;is'.not' resident in '.New Zealand," and it ■ may ; !bo'...soma -little . time before'. Mr..JCirkcaldie: is ..ihr a, position 1 ! fovprev 'sent ■ his ic'a'se. -. Of;'.course :it '■:is, always : , possible"in'; a '.matter' of ■ thiß; kind;thut' .'may; : be':'com'e' ; 'to, , but 1 : am';.presuming that there. ',will" •:' I ,am : suggesting;,that;the'-Registrar should: advertise 'thQ'..;:oppl,icalion,. in-. the''nieiih-V .time; ,;Ho 'has-refused so':far; to, dp' :so. because. ;there 'iis 'a.'similar ; trade: mark: ,ori"the register,' "and" no/ doubt'-, .lie-'is: right.J'jMy friend,:,will. probably .consent toJan/'.orHer. being matle by. 1 ,theT,Cpurt"in. the mcantim'R that : this fihoiihl be: done.-: and. that ;the' Registrar-.should' no£','grant' ■a' certificate.,of: registration 'pehding.thb further; order' of 'the'Court.';^' ; .-,, .''. :< ' : His Honour': i '-.D'o,''}'6u';sdo'- anything;un-. •reas'ohablo'nh'that;-Mr; Kirkcaldie;?,:'- -k ■ ■"■Jli\.''.Kirkcaldie:;','l J'see nothing,' !.-your' Honour, except.'that after.the''application \ "is '• advertised,' notice of opposition-.may; .not'• be',put "in-within; tho;limited,. period: prescribed:.;- At; the. stage I.'. am ; willing:''to'■:consent,;, provided'•'•■ that anything wß.shalldo hero shall .not;'.proju-; 'dice- Afr: Dunlop's.Tight;;to. W. fully.irepresented 'at the,;hearing'.' .';.;.■ :,..'£.. A'., ;'.,-'.-. :Mr.'Myers::l [quite.-acreo; with that.; ; :,:. ': Mr:'. Neave observed, that.;the; Registrar;; had no.'objection; to; proceeding with;; the: application, l , so'■•'; far: : as/.'.the ;, advertising, was concerned;: lii JactMie.-.was.entitled to pr'o'n'ecd.;;The. Registrar:informed:,hiiu. that'-it 'was-ith'e. first,'-application:'; of;; the? .kind'.'ih New' Zealand. -~.'•' "; ; ;' ;; ;>y: . ■:■ , The Court 'made '.an. order:.; accordingly,-' reave' being :by' consent: given to 'applicant to .amend his/application,inth,regard' ; .tp statement; of'terms; of :p,ripr.- user. ' ■ ,)

A: WAVERLE? FARMER'S -AFFAIR '. A petition was heard on behalf of' John Isaac and George; iupton.ifarniers, Waycrle'y, Vas' .executors .aiid trustees .of'. the will of■ Isaac. Mupton;-deceased, .order of .tho''Court:.uuthorising. .thomvto carry .:on, : ;the '■.• testator's business of- dairy; farmer. ;and ,cheese : fictbry' proprietor ■ at' Waverley, on behalf .of ;.thc beneficiaries under. ", the will, and'also leave to mortgage ithe assets', as a'security for ■ isiim; :of-- d£12,000:(of : which'•'' d£Bßo7 3s. was! al-'.: ready -due 'to''^he..-Bank of! New South,: .Wales) for' the .'purpose of carrying, on. the bMineßS?-.'..''-v'' :•!-' ■ '•'-■.■'.''! '■' •'■■ ' Mr. : Myers 'appeared- on behalf ■■ of th<v :executo*rs,': and.Mri.A. Gray for /certain beneficiaries; under the .will.* ■•'-■ v .; ■•:• .It 'appeared from the facts sot forth iit the.petition, ithat: the testator' died on . September ' 29, : . 1909, leaving real and: personal.estate; valued', at ovor i3i,000,_ ■ and; directing• ttiat.'his farms,'etc,- should' bo'converted for; the purposes set forth; He left '.a! widow;, and' ten. children',. all of the exception, of ono'innr ried daughter, ojb ■ residing . with,, ithe widow,'and all of whom are .of age except two boys, aged . respectively.' :17i and 13years. .' Portion ' of the property has' since' been' realised: by'sale, but it was represented that. the : . remainder could 'not.■■' bo, disposed "of .'with advantage at the- present time,.and authority was accordingly, sought.for carrying on the'business, and for postponing, the -sale'and, conversion of-the-property.,;lt was'Mated'that the granting of this authority would involve the. interpretation of. certain portions of the', will. '': ■•■■'.''•' : :•:/'-' '."■..■ ' Mr.Graydidnot oppose. ■ ■;.' ; . His Honour '."■ granted .;■,; the order ■as prayed, giving leave to any,party.to ap-, ply from time-'to!• time .as'to'the sale, of ■ ths. property or: generally;, the' costs of all.parties to be';borne'; by the estate., ■'■■: DIVORCE IN CAMERA.'; Mr)- 'Justice. : Chapman, ..sitting'., in Camera, heard/the '. petition for-.'dissolu-tion of marriage brought.by Chas. Bono, 'of Wellington; against Emma Bono on the ground of.desertion. A.decree nisi was'granted,-, the; question of the custody of the children to stand over. Mr. Alexander Gray; 'appeared ■■ for the itetitioner, and Mr. A. 1 Fair (Chapman, Skerjett,: Wyliel and '.Tripp), for the respond;ent. ,''