HODGE CHILE COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
KNA FOOD DISTRIBUTORS, INC.; KENNETH E. ADELMANN AND HARRY BRUNSEN, APPELLEES. HODGE CHILE COMPANY, APPELLEE, V. KNA FOOD DISTRIBUTORS, INC., KENNETH E. ADELMANN AND HARRY BRUNSEN, APPELLANTS

8th Cir. | 1984-08-23
Nos. 83-2610, 83-2696
741 F.2d 1086 United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1984) Positive Treatment
Cited by 6 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.


Holding

The court affirmed the district court's decision, finding no merit in the arguments for reversal and denying the cross-appeal for attorney fees.


Facts & Procedural History

Hodge Chile Company appealed a district court decision that KNA Food Distributors was not infringing its trademark or engaging in unfair competition b…

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence

© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.


Opinion of the Court
ROSS, Circuit Judge.

ROSS, Circuit Judge.

This case involves the right to use the name “Hodge” in marketing chile products. Jurisdiction exists by virtue of the Lanham Act. 15 U.S.C. § 1121.

The district court prepared two opinions, one of which is published at 575 F.Supp. 210 (D.Mo.1983). Hodge Chile Company appeals the district court’s decision that KNA Food Distributors (KNA) is not infringing its federally registered “Hodge’s” trademark or acting in unfair competition by marketing chile and tamales in grocery outlets under the name “O.T. Hodge Chile Parlor Chili” (or “Tamales”). KNA defends on the basis of a settlement agreement reached between Hodge Chile Company and O.T. Hodge Chile Parlors, Inc. in 1954. The 1954 agreement, inter alia, transferred the right to use the name “O.T. Hodge Chile Parlors” to O.T. Hodge Chile Parlors, which right O.T. Hodge Chile Parlors assigned to KNA. KNA cross-appeals, arguing that the district court erred in failing to award it attorney fees pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1117. KNA asserts that the requisite “exceptional circumstances” existed via the fact that the Hodge Chile Company obtained its registered trademark by use of a false affidavit.

We have carefully studied the record, including the district court’s opinions and the briefs of the parties to the action. We find no merit in the arguments for reversal, and accordingly affirm pursuant to Rule 14 of the Rules of this court on the basis of the district court’s findings.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

Full citator, related cases, and AI research tools

Open in FLexlaw