Exxon Corp. v Exxon Insurance Consultants International Ltd

Exxon Corp. v. Exxon Insurance Consultants International Ltd
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
Date decided 12 June 1981
Full case name Exxon Corporation and Exxon Insurance Consultants International Limited
Citations [1982] Ch. 119
[1981] 3 All E.R. 241
[1982] R.P.C. 69
(1981) 125 S.J. 527
Times, June 13, 1981
Judges sitting Stephenson, L.J.
Sir David Cairns, L.J.
Oliver, L.J.
Cases cited DP Anderson & Co Ltd v Lieber Code Co, [1917] 2 K.B. 469 (KBD)
Hollinrake v Truswell, [1894] 3 Ch. 420 (CA)
Legislation cited Companies Act 1948 s.18
Companies Act 1948 s.18(1)
Copyright Act 1956 s.1
Copyright Act 1956 s.2
Copyright Act 1956 s.2(1)
Copyright Act 1956 s.6
Copyright Act 1956 s.17
Copyright Act 1956 s.48
Copyright Act 1911 s.1
Copyright Act 1911 s.1(1)
Copyright Act 1911 s.35
Copyright Act 1842
Trade Marks Act 1938 s.9
Trade Marks Act 1938 s.9(1)(c)
Trade Marks Act 1919
Rules of the Supreme Court Ord.19
Rules Supreme Court Ord.19 r.7
Rules of the Supreme Court r.7
Case history
Prior actions Exxon Corp v Exxon Insurance Consultants International Ltd, [1981] 1 W.L.R. 624
[1981] 2 All E.R. 495
[1981] F.S.R. 238
(1981) 125 S.J. 342 (Ch D)
Subsequent actions None
Keywords
Literary works, Trade names

Exxon Corp. v. Exxon Insurance Consultants International Ltd [1982] Ch. 119 is a leading decision in English law on the existence of copyright in a name alone and the infringement of a trade mark. The Court found that typically there is no copyright in a name, invented or otherwise, and that a trade mark can only be infringed when there the infringing party shares part of the market segment.

Trade mark

With regards to the trade mark, the Court found that the use of this word by the defendants who work in a field that in no way shares a market segment with the plaintiff in no way dilutes the plaintiff's brand name nor infringes on its trade mark.