New-York daily tribune., 1849-03-21
The Balm and Morse Controversy-Declsirn
.f Iudga foVFfrraft

OF Mr. Balm From this decision Mr. Bsin bas appealed
It s coniended by the counsel for Mr. Morse that the
Judge upon appeal hss j1risdcon Of the question
Of Interference That appeal given only upon the
question Of griory cf tnreri0a sad tha, upon the
question Of Interference the decision Of the Commits
siOner IA conclusive.
Whether II be thus conclusive then is the first ques
ton % be decided
BY the act Of ls3s. ch. 3j7, -. its enacted that
e ayiaon g} a>r ssl sai- the applicant Ps
ni BE- nay, 90 a. spqei sat 1 el.-,i ~ rng sf, ne se
sssa snt or.sf.in of- ns..ef y saes sosfs ,as =
Missioner shos part Az thsr opzon beaE
coosr .Aa l. Eovsrnsd thereby IN. iar
Tns section Is applicable to where there is
conflicting applicant, and shows that the Legislature,
BY saying IN the opinion of The Comm sSi0Hey, &c did
not Intend make that opinion conclusive On the
contrary. 1t provides
opnsr sns eecon Of tie CoIson- stating the pa'tcu.lr
81 os,. A.. ,, ss, "a =, S ~, ~. ~ s.,s
give essonas- The ths Con
rl.son-r, Of t. tine sna place oi tlsf mestng &C..
All these provisions were evidently intended 70 enable
the board ofexamlners to revise the opinion aud de-
csion Of the Commsoner and show that this opinion
was not 10 DO conclusive.
BY the stn section the same act s35 II Is enacted
oysnor IF coam.ioas a.rs-rs ~it .Hy
70 rs,-s, vbS ssE ssys zen sai.d .hs >. u. sa Of
the commisnsr % notice fers 70 soch applicant. or pat
The be- sii. shall BE- sis-stshei wA
secoa Of tie question II priority Of rs;
or rsno o hearss hereof hs nsy appeal from .6ch 5e.
on on lie Vru. ssi provided pr-e-
cua section q & sct and H. te proceeding shall be haf y &C.
ierrne w. whether sthsr Of ihe sPPIesau entitled 20
The question Of priority Of rgh, invention neces
sarlV implies iHteftrfNce Tho Commissioner before
he could decide question Of priority must have de-
cided that OF Interference for without interference
there can be question Of priority. Before can have
Jurisdiction Of the question Of priority must be ssts-
fed that thore Is Interference and must decide ihe
question Of jurisdiction well any other question
which arises In the cause.
The opinion OF the Commissioner mentioned in the
tss.r inst i'm
IN RiUiHQ r0cc MrfOf TO the other applicant and sp
pointing day 20 hear the parties upon that question lie
decides II only pro hoe p snd for that purpose ony
Upon that hearing he Is 10 decide and from that DE-
cision If either shall be dissatisfied with H. on the cues
lion Of priority including ths. Of interference he may
appeal ard upon such appeal as understand the ia"'
the Judge, In case of real Interference, may
Which. whether eh-r Of the applicants entitled 10
The scope thus given the Judge Is broad enough TO
include the question Of interference as well as taat OF
priority, If should arise
BY the act ofls39, ch -, sec. IL, it is enacted,
Thai oil cases where appeal nos allowed ny if fom u
saa Of a. s % % 81 81 r.,' . ,e ~ 10 & siI1 s o. s
he party instead shall right sppes 90 ihe Os
Juscs ~ the Dsi Court Of TIE United sa'ss f hs ps
~ Ne s's., Ssa ] i. e -. roS,i In ~ri,as .as a.o
the Pseni Odce 10 the credit oi the patent 9na ls sum
And shall be The duty Of the sad Cb,f Jusre petition, 70
hear aud dsrm appeals sd esiss such dscs'. 20
asummap Nsy, ou the evidence addlce before soen
ng ihe snd place Of hsangi shoss do
thereof % Al paftes -lifNi W ~
sed ,h,en n such manner said Judge shall prescribe
The Commsonef shall also Jay before The ssd J1at a A.
deeiioH fully se forth ~nuos foHh''g e ne Po'nb ~
ne ,safons ~ ayyea w,h the revision sha 10 oonhned
one OF the reasons of appeal, In this case, Is
That aud subs,sati nieereus between & tso
The question of interference therefore, is involved
by the reasons of appeal and must be decided oy ihe
Judge. By limiting the jurisdiction OF the Judge %
the points involved by the reasons oil appeal tne lie
gissture has affirmed II to that extent
he iuterprpuce mentioned IN the rtO ttCtOu VI Ah'
act OF 1896 must be Interference In respect TO pa
tentab'e matters and the claims OF the applicants
must be limited the matters specifically eel ioith as
their respective inventions; and what is not mus
clamcd may, for the purpose oil tnis prehlinAiy III
quiry be considered as disclaimec.
The question then is does Mr. Balm claim patent
for any matter now pstenaole ior WHICH WI 4O' 30 INV
To answer This question: il is necessary to ascertain
for what patentabie matter Mr.. Morse DO" eiS'ui'
In his specification filed Jan 20, ls45 he says
"Wbat cain my invention and npro' enshl = ,a- T
Of s'ea. 2, %, es .e. wor. AMI .,uisncs. By
msan Of The s, % t .sys s .tss result Of
upon Paper So meta, M r 9ss' Il. asesry
:. b.n s,scrsd for purpose OF applying the drcomposins
orSs or 1eses o electricity seng upon kro"n 'i' ''
Tbe Commissioner in his written decision in this
case says; .--.,... ,.,,,. aoo, ,,sri
s cr.psr.S psp.r . not tie point .ue ta e'a~a y
snley patti SAD Mor.e u,iag single ees, Of co9us,
r certain pufpose certain way, Nns % mAfA ~
ign. asd o the machinery BY .heh he aoeomp'hs' u
PePo, sd hs Ss,s M. ms be eossrsd pat Of b,
sod eam aad = necessarily a,o,'s % I'm n ' % "na
nnieaf,sn substantially the manner aud win The sHsc'
rhs comnissioner uroceeds-The third clause Of The
claim of said Balm with which the true claims OF ssd
Morse interfere, is as follows, to wit
"de application Of any ss,ssg essssg "a, e'sSsp S1.s
10 ecsy. and record sgn. forming such communications sssn 80
beng made BY we ~ s ,arrert operating directly
@ ~,aoes ',e ,b suitable metal mng hsi 30 ooe'au'
~ t Nh ths r-ceisiug psper thereby making m,ss h,is
on hh MARKS correspond Nh the eouP Of psorsto9s N s
psn.r essrf,ne transmitted coinngntsioni or NAY 2 - 60
:, The pss,,n. from The 'Prrs - aaa ea ~ , - 20, - ~ he
, nd " m the effects descnoei ncludsg 'ny merely pru
cal sans,ions anassoe. asd ,lu''aeA' "a VIC "''-'
The Commissioner in his written decision, says
M. nvsnon Will be By reference 70 The y
us.s nars' oP,S sss's @ eds clam To hsr
mas through .iaee me o. ,o - ,,s,,.bs 4. the, Ave
bee, sI,i. .-I said by the counsel Of Mr.. Morse;
'bs, psib.r could p.en, the bat0y the ei--n'
III. prepared paper the marking eJ ne seeilo ,.
n,s r,.e ~ aa eia ssnn raHHs that e'ne' eo1
sgsiu-Tbe Commissioner in his "rea'oH' q deet''
s. a. MI BAN asserts that no ons can monePoas ne 20
~ - sr~ Or at.r but equally that any ons can mon'p
M. o OF ar ire Or upon certain pnneP IS o.
he may n,euiet o. csco'eies sn - ~, 6. sns rsvs
.n-ct1e claimants thi' cs'- deinanosa s' ~ ,,s5.
- a. N. ,pi.rsenc- Va; each c.siset ihe isAi 70 Use
f..n, astAn
80 80 -ss psten,sd b. Morse upoa eeemiaAy prepares
pap.r through creli OF =, h1, a. IN, or
~ si-g's erti n ecna-ers consisting shef -hos q ~,
-, III .s. ,ns rsrt o earth ior essrPhc purposes e-' -
w siy.as b nsrked tcs-s ~ netr 'n- A- e-
=. 40 r p,ten.ed by Mo.--And eteNia+s y &c
= f,,.e,,lar eerrAphlc s-us By g.if@n.ni ee. -,
- h,v,rr t,e, pa-ntsd ku1and, 20 ls> on NJ u
,f.,,.e ~ ,fx af fiags fts9TaPhN ereHh o' "alNe
s pot pafsf 7rs, The sans na'e Teen ''o'
patented by ss1 Nof-s 49,, al ,t. .hsy, .I.u,.stsI
~. ,.,rra ~ eass ads ~ = fas farsf c'7oisf-
- IN. ssuss.s CLAIMED 90 have eeea dsco'sfea p e-'l ID -
combined operations ~e'7 '-'-N - ...A,. Il,
n then these matters are not now psientsaie 10
,ha.elyes there is nothing pateniaole 10 Nt morse
80, lsft IN be intericred with, except hs Claim Vi
s,snt for hi. invention Of the mseh'nery described
50 hi. .neodca,iou or for his combination OF naeh.neIy
- s,s,ials As described therein. The Claim ol eaSn
snnNcsnt therefore is reduced to the claim J| - ~
frSnSf,,n of machinery Gad materials which ee pas
,oscn,eS and does not include any OF the matters
claimed In his specification which are not NJ" -
tentabe. -, -. a., from iden.
Tbese combinations seem TO me 70 oe isr iIo.u 49,
,,csI Mr. Balm includes in his comonahon lne use y
,ns pertors,ed paper for Composing the communism.
an5 of the style which passes the eieettlS - 80.
,hrossh the perforated paper and the aeniney -, .o
,rsn.nit,ine the same communication 10 sever n s' :
, nl.css AZ the same time. II Ia said thai tne s9
~, new but he makes II an Ingredient 10 MS oo.o
ns,np and la that respect his combination oinss li0
,nst of Mr. Morse and IL is svsry Important ITEM ~
nrsc,,on uith the perforated paper. lie includes ~
ANa affsr witt