Wells Fargo & Company v. Wells Fargo Express Company

556 F.2d 406 194 U.S.P.Q. 10 WELLS FARGO & COMPANY, a corporation, and Baker Industries, Inc., a corporation, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. WELLS FARGO EXPRESS COMPANY, a corporation, and Wells Fargo Express Company, AG, a Liechtenstein Corporation, Defendants-Appellees. No. 74-2109. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. April 22, 1977. Richard E. Backus, argued, Flehr, Hohbach, Test, Albritton & Herbert, San Francisco, Cal., for plaintiffs-appellants. Wiener, Goldwater, Galatz & Raggio, Las Vegas, Nev., Albert L. Jacobs, Jr., Jacobs & Jacobs, New York City, for defendants-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Before WRIGHT and CHOY, Circuit Judges, and EAST, * District Judge. CHOY, Circuit Judge: 1 A show-down over rights to the storied name "Wells Fargo" is the subject of this trademark infringement and unfair competition action. Two American corporations challenge the use of the name, in the United States and abroad, by two other corporations, one of which is foreign. 2 In a lengthy opinion appearing at 358 F.Supp. 1065 (D.Nev.1973), the district court held, among other things, that it lacked personal…