Jako v. Pilling Co.
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
848 F.2d 318 (1988)
Dr. Jako (plaintiff), a physician, collaborated with Pilling Company (defendant), a medical-equipment manufacturer, designing laryngoscopes that were labeled with his name, boosting his professional reputation, though he never held a patent or an express payment agreement. He later sued Pilling for royalties on 15 years of sales, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment, and testified he never wanted payment for his medical ideas, seeking only to benefit humanity. The district court found no contract and no unjust enrichment, granting Pilling summary judgment.
Whether unjust enrichment exists where the giver of a benefit intended to benefit humanity and the giver himself also benefited from the arrangement.