The Indianapolis journal., 1894-01-10
CHEAP TELEPHONES NOT IN SIGHT.
False Hopes Raised by an Expiring
Patent-StiIl IL Monopoly.

New York Evening Post.
Much has been published during the year
Just ending about the approaching expira-
ton of telephone patents and the consequent
nearness of an era of cheap telephones
These expectations do not seem TO have
much substantial basis.
Practically the last of the unqestioned
patents of the Bell Telephone Company will
expire on the 30th of this month"; when the
reliance of the company in the future must
be on the Berliner and the Edison transmit
Which Wer bad hds n are m the the 6w1 c
some fourteen years on account of inter
ferences." and were issued only in the last
patent which expires ON Jan. so is for the
receiver now used. and after that date any
manufactures may make receivers, but to
make the transmitters ii will be necessary
TO wait until the Berliner patent question
has been decided or take risks of having it
declared good by the courts and thus be-
come liable for damages for infringement
The Berliner patent was applied for in 1877,
and while IL hung fire the life of the Bell
patents drew TO a close 1t has been pop
ularly supposed that the Bell company was
in no hurry to have the Berliner patent,
the rights of which il had acquired, granted,
as 1t would only run out the sooner and the
company was protected without it, needing
Ii only for the future
The Berliner patent is almost as sweeping
in its terms as the patents under which the
company has been doing business, and If il
is sustained other people will scarcely dare
to build and equip lines on the slight possi-
bility that they may be able to get a system
which will not infringe on that already in
use. 1t is considered possible that one
transmitter which has been made may have
a fighting chance against the Bell Company,
Attorney-general Miller began the suit
against the company in Boston in February
last, attacking the Berliner patent on the
ground that the claims set up in il are COW
cred by the previous patents issued to the
same company beginning with the original
patent, and that the possession of the Ber-
lfr.lr ffrafrn 1frrsfrN fll
tcr-m the close monopoly of the telephone
business which the company has maintained
since the first patent was issued, and that
such q proceeding is against the spirit and
intent of the patent laws of the United
States as well as against justice and equity.
The case has been proceeding rapidly for
suits or that character. and it is now ex-
pected that the evidence will be in by Feb
ruary next, and that arguments will be be-
gun then. and that decision may be
reached before long afterwards. Then the
which way it goes, so that ii may be several
years before final result is obtained
The Berliner patent covers about all of
the principles of the microphone form of
transmitter. and as that is the only one
in successful use. the sustaining of ii
would mean seventeen years OF life for the
Bell company. IL is also declared by cleo
tricians that even should the courts de-
eide against the company, il would still
be in position TO maintain its monopoly,
for no company would care TO enter into
competition with the Bell company or any
of it's branches, on account of the diff
Guilty of the task. In the first place, the
company has the business, and like the
Western Union Telegraph Company, it
has the plant, which keeps other people
out. In the second place, people of the
large cities are averse to granting permits
for the stringing of any more wires. and
in this city none can be put overhead.
while the subways practically in the
control of the Metropolitan company and
no other company would be allowed to use
them without hard fight.