The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-16

VIII Cheaper Electric instruments and
Gives Monopoly q BODY Blow.

VIII Cheaper Electric Instruments and
Gives Monopoly Body Blow.
The effect Of the recent decision OF the
. United States supreme court or patents.
declaring that American patents expire
with the foreign patents on the same In
yentioHs. Is admitted TO be faf-reaehing.
except by those whose patents are affected
by IL, hut they show a disposition to MIN
inatze It's effects. The general opinion Of
fis.nterested persons who are In posi-
ton 10 judge of the subject Is that the
decision Will largely affect ali electric
light and electric power interests and VIII
tend 10 cheaper every puhits service In
WITCH electricity h the controlling che
neat. Leonard z Curtis. counsel for the
Westinghouse companies. which have car
rfed on the most vigorous fgaf against
the Edison company, IL quoted by the
New York Times as saying;
The Westinghouse companies will be
greatly Benefited by the decision. as IL
win end much litigation that has been
begun because / have for years advised
sfa: the law should be interpreted as ii
now has been. The public viii derive
many benefits now that IL otherwise
would not, because contractors and others
were afraid Of infringement suits IL they
purchased and operated plants that we
were ready TO furnish. This fear viii no
longer affect them. and. as costs of liti-
CATION wlll not have to be taken into ac-
count, electric light and power plants
should be materially cheapened.
The companies that will be the most
materially affected by the decision are
those that hoped TO proiong their patent
rights by withholding their applications
for American patents until their foreign
patents were about 10 expire. These with
held patents have mostly to do with arc
and incandescent electric lights. disfribn-
tars. and great number OF patents on
the telephone Instruments"
On the other hand. the Times says that
at the General Electric CoRpany's once
II was stated that the effect of the decis-
ion had long been discounted. and the
only way that II will affect the company
will be In the manufacture of the incan-
descent light. and even In respect to that
IL will make but little. IL any, difference,
as circular has been prepared for some
time In which 1t is announced that the
selling price OF the lamps has been re-
duced.
A special dispatch from Washington
City TO the same paper says:
1T IL said at the patent Office that many
broad patents owned by the General Elee-
trio Company undoubtedly are disposed
of by the decision of the supreme court,
including Edisons patent upon the mean
descent lamp and on the multiple arc
system of distribution.
The transmitter controlled by the mo-
nopoly has really been the chief obstacle
To the lowering Of the price of telephones
Now that the supreme court has swept
away the chief source of strength of the
monopoly. II lis expected that rival COM
panles viii become very active and the
public will look for cheaper Telephones
before the end of the year.
1t must not he taken for granted that
the telephone people viii relfnquish their
hold without a fight They have an i'm
mense capital and extraordinary facili-
ties, and may be depended on to make
life hurdensome for organizations which
may attempt to bring the telephone with
in reach of persons Of ordinary means
The supreme court decision directs at
tention to the fact that there is n wide
difference In the terms of patents granted
by foreign countries. In Great Britain
the term Is fourteen years. and In France
twenty years. In Canada the term Is
i've. ten or fifteen years according 10 the
desire of the patentees and the amount of
taxes he is willing to pay. This gradu-
ated scale was put into practice as an aid
TO manufacturing, II being reckoned that
q ratentee would prefer to manufacture
Tor hfteen years at a reasonable rate of
taxation. Russia issues patents running
three. five and ten years, and the taxa
ton plan also prevails there. In Belgium
the term Is twenty years and In Germany
nfteen years. Annual fees are exacted in
Germany. The patent office OF that coun-
try Is considered by Inventors TO be the
most arbitrary In the world
1T Is believed at the patent Office that
the late decision viii have the effect
OF Inducing inventors 20 apply for foreign
patents at the same time that they make
application In this country There are
about 2,o9 PATENTS on file at the patent
office on which foreign patents have also
been granted. The decision In the Bate
case. taken In connection with the ruling
OF the commissioner Of patents. which will.
take effect April Is. requiring activity on
the part OF patentees and limiting the
time for taking appeals. will tend 10 dis
courage the manipulation of patents by
INSCRIPTIONS monopolies and keep down
the cost 20 the pubic of valuable inyen-
,iof s."