R. J. Todd Co. v. Bradstreet Co.

This is an action of tort for libel in giving to the plaintiff a rating in its book of commercial ratings. The plaintiff is a corporation engaged since 1902 in the wholesale hardware business. The defendant operates a mercantile credit agency. It issues quarterly a book containing credit ratings of persons engaged in business through*140out the country, which it lends only to its subscribers under a written contract whereby each subscriber agrees to hold all information furnished by it in strict confidence and not to ask for information for use of others. As each new issue of the book is…