PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY
v.
MONROE
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Press Publishing Company, a citizen of Illinois, brought a diversity action against Monroe, a citizen of New York, seeking damages for an alleged wrong under common law rather than federal law. The Supreme Court held that it lacked appellate jurisdiction over the Circuit Court of Appeals' judgment because the case arose solely from the parties' different citizenship and not from any federal question, making the Circuit Court of Appeals' judgment final and not subject to Supreme Court review.
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Mr. Justice Gray,
after stating the case, delivered the opinion of the court.
Of suits of a civil nature, at law or in equity, the Circuit Courts of the United States have original jurisdiction, by reason of the citizenship of the parties, in cases between citizens of different States or between citizens of a State and aliens; and by reason of the cause of action,in cases arising under the Constitution or laws of United States, or treaties made or which shall be made under their authority,” including, of course, suits arising under the patent or copyright laws of the United States. Act of August 13, 1888, c. 866, § 1; 25 Stat. 433; Rev. Stat. § 629, cl. 9. In order to give the Circuit Court jurisdiction of a case as one arising under the Constitution, laws or treaties of the United States, that it does so arise must appear from the plaintiff’s own statement of his claim. Colorado Co. v. Turck, 150 U. S. 138; Tennessee v. Union & Planters’ Bank, 152 U. S. 454; Oregon &c. Railway v. Skottowe, 162 U. S. 490; Hanford v. Davies, 163 U. S. 273.
From final judgments of the Circuit Court in civil suits an appeal or writ of error lies to this'court, or to the Circuit Court of Appeals. It lies directly to this court in any case in which the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court is in issue; and in such case the question of jurisdiction only is certified to and decided by this court. It also lies directly from the Circuit Court to this court in cases involving the construction or application. of the Constitution, or the constitutionality of a law, or the validitjr or construction of a treaty, of the United States, or in which the constitution or a law of a State, is claimed to be in contravention of the Constitution of the United States; and in any of these cases the appellate jurisdiction of this court is not limited to the constitutional question, but extends to the determination of the whole case. Act of March 3,1891, c. 517, § 5; 26 Stat. 827, 828; Horner v. United States, 143 U. S. 570; Chappell v. United States, 160 U. S. 499.
From final judgments of the Circuit Court-in all other civil suits an appeal or writ of error lies to the Circuit Court of Appeals; and the judgments rendered thereon by the Circuit Court of Appeals are final (unless this court, by writ of certiorari or otherwise, orders the whole case to be brought up for its decision) in all cases in which the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court “ is dependent entirely upon the parties being aliens and citizens of the United States, or citizens of different States; ” as well as in cases arising under the patent laws, or under the revenue laws. In all other civil actions (including those arising under the copyright laws of the United States), if the matter in controversy exceeds $1000, besides costs, there is, as of right, an appeal or writ of error to bring the case to this court. Act of March 3, 1891, c. 517, § 6.
This plaintiff in error, having been defeated in the Circuit Court, did not bring the case directly to this court, as one involving the construction or application of the Constitution of the United States, or upon any other of the grounds specified in section 5 of the act of 1891. But it took the case, under section 6, to the Circuit Court of Appeals, and having been again defeated in that court, now claims, as of right, a review by this court of the judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals.
The judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals being made final in all cases in which the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court is dependent entirely upon the parties being citizens of different States, but not final in cases arising under the copyright laws of the United States, where the matter in controversy exceeds $1000, the test of the appellate jurisdiction of this court over the case at bar is whether it was one arising under the copyright laws of the United States, or was one in which the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court wholly depended upon the parties being citizens of different States.
The complaint, alleging that the plaintiff was a citizen of Illinois and the defendant a citizen of New York, and claiming damages in a sum of more than $2000, showed that the Circuit Court had jurisdiction of the case by reason of the parties being citizens of different States. The plaintiff, in her complaint, did not claim any right under the Constitution and laws of the United States, or in an}^ way mention or refer to that Constitution or to those laws; and, at the trial, she relied wholly upon a right given by the common law, and maintained her action upon such a right only. It was the defendant, and not the-plaintiff, who invoked the Constitution and laws.of the United States. This, as necessarily follows from the foregoing considerations, and as was expressly adjudged in Colorado Co. v. Turck, above cited, is insufficient to support the jurisdiction of this court to review, by appeal or writ of error, the judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals.
The jurisdiction of the Circuit Court having been obtained and exercised solely because of the parties being citizens of different .States, the judgment of the Circuit Court of Appeals was final, and the writ of error must be
Dismissed for loant of jurisdiction.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By (31 total)
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Harper & Row v. Nation Enters., 471 U.S. 539 (U.S. 1985)…operly obtaining a copy [of his unpublished work] endeavors to realize [*552] a profit by its publication” from rights in a published work, which are prescribed by statute); Press Publishing Co. v. Monroe, 73 F. 196, 199 (CA2), writ of error dism’d, 164 U. S. 105 (1896); Stanley v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 35 Cal. 2d 653, 660-661, 221 P. 2d 73, 77-78 (1950) (en banc); Golding v. RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 193 P. 2d 153, 162 (Cal. App. 1948) (“An unauthorized appropriation of [an unpublished work] i…
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Farrell v. O'Brien, 199 U.S. 89 (U.S. 1905)
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Basista v. Weir, 340 F.2d 74 (3d Cir. 1965)…of federal common law it is not necessary to allege nominal damages and nominal damages are proved by proof of depriviation of a right to which the plaintiff was entitled. In Press Pub. Co. v. Monroe, 73 F. 196, 201 (C.C.S.D.N.Y.), appeal dismissed, 164 U.S. 105, 17 S.Ct. 40, 41 L.Ed. 367 (1896), it was asserted by the defendant that when no actual damages were proved exemplary damages should not be allowed, but the Circuit Court, by Circuit Judge Lacombe, stated: “Some courts have held that it is unfair to…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Tennessee v. Union & Planters' Bank, 152 U.S. 454 (U.S. 1894)
- Chappell v. United States, 160 U.S. 499 (U.S. 1896)
- Hanford v. Davies, 163 U.S. 273 (U.S. 1896)
- Horner v. United States, 143 U.S. 570 (U.S. 1892)
- Colo. Cent. Consol. Mining Co. v. Turck, 150 U.S. 138 (U.S. 1893)
- Or. Short Line & Utah N. Ry. Co. v. Skottowe, 162 U.S. 490 (U.S. 1896)