Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Novak v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance

Novak v. Mut. of Omaha Ins., 488 U.S. 933 (1988)

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1988-10-31
Topic
general

Justice White, dissenting. A question presented in this case is whether a district court’s finding of a likelihood of confusion in a trademark infringement matter under § 43(a) of the Lanham Trade-Mark Act, 60 Stat. 441, 15 U. S. C. § 1125(a), is reviewable under the “clearly erroneous” standard, as a finding of fact, or de novo, as a conclusion of law. I have noted before that federal courts disagree over this question.

Citator

UpLaw has not yet analyzed Novak v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance. The absence of a flag is not a finding that it is good law.

Justice White,

dissenting.

A question presented in this case is whether a district court’s finding of a likelihood of confusion in a trademark infringement matter under § 43(a) of the Lanham Trade-Mark Act, 60 Stat. 441, 15 U. S. C. § 1125(a), is reviewable under the “clearly erroneous” standard, as a finding of fact, or de novo, as a conclusion of law. I have noted before that federal courts disagree over this question. See Euroquilt, Inc. v. Scandia Down Corp., 475 U. S. 1147 (1986) (White, J., dissenting from denial of certiorari); Elby’s Big Boy of Steubenville, Inc. v. Frisch’s Restaurants, Inc., 459 U. S. 916 (1982) (same). I would grant certiorari to resolve the conflict.