The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-04
DRAWBAUGH SECURES
PATENTS AT LAST
The Inventor Of the Bell Telephone to
Receive Relief from Congress.
PATRONS OF THE PHONE PROTECTED
The Inventor of the Instrument Will
Probably Now Receive the Rights
That Belong to Him..A Most I'm.
pOrtant Report from Senate Patent
Committee.

Washington, June 3.-The senate
committee on patents by vote of to
8 has made favorable report on the
bill for the relief of Daniel Drawbaugh.
The vote was as follows: For the bill
NIessrs. Pritchard, Call, Mills and
Berry; against the bill-Messrs. Platt.
Clark and Wetmore. This bill has an
important bearing on the Bell Tele-
phone patent. 1t directs the commits
sioner of patents to issue to Daniel
Drawbaugh patent or patents for the
inventions Of improvements in tele-
phony, described and claimed In pend
ing applications filed by Drawbaugh
In the patent Office at various times
from 1880 until 1884, Notwithstanding
that said inventions may have been
placed on sale for more than two years
prior to the date of the filing of Draw
baugh's original application Of July 26,
1880. These patents, when issued, are
to have the same effect as though no
delay had occurred in presenting or
prosecution therefor and each patent
when SO issued is to be good in law
to secure to the owner the sole right,
make and sale Of such patented inven-
ton.
A proviso gives all persons having
apparatus containing any Of these in
ventions In use at the time Of issuing
such patents shall have the right to
continue the use Of such apparatus
without charge or molestatlon; and no
one Is to be liable to Mr.. Drawbaugh
for any manufacture use or sale Of
Drawbaugh's inventions occurring
prior to the issuance of the patent or
patents authorized in the bill favorably
reported.
PRESIDENT BARTLETT TALKS.
New York. June 3-J. r. Bartlett,
president Of the Drawbaugh Telephone
and Telegraph company, said regarding
the favorable report Of the senate COM
mittee on patents on the DraWbaugh
bill:
1T will permit the issue to Drawbaugh
of fundamental patents for the micro
phone, thereby, transferring the control
Of the long distance telephone from the
Bell company under the Berliner patent
to the Drawbaugh company. The pub
lie will not be burdened by an extended
control of the telephone, as the Berliner
patent now covers the forms of tele-
phone embraced in the bill and this
Berliner patent is owned by the Bell
company. The government has q suit
pending to cancel it upon the ground
Of fraud. Drawbaugh's priority in the
! invention Of the telephone has long
been known and abundantly established
and the government has a second suit
pending against the Bell company In
which this priority has been plainly
demonstrated. Drawbaugh has been
prevented from obtaining the funda-
mental patents only by q slight tech
nicality which was set up against him
through the influence of the Bell COM
pany and 1t is to relieve Drawbaugh
of this technicality that the bill has
been introduced. Opposition was made
by the senate committee on patents by
the counsel of the Bell company and an
exhaustive argument was presented to
show that Drawbaugh was not entitled
to any consideration, but the merits OF
his claims were SO apparent that the
patent committee reported he bill favor
ably. The Bell company has enjoyed
many years Of prosperity based on the
rights belonging to another, but con.
gress has at last undertaken to right
this wrong by the enactment of Law
which, while moderate and reasonable
in it's terms, will secure to Daniel Draw.
baugh the rights that belong to him"