The Detroit times., 1910-04-07
LONG THRElTENf1
WAR AM0hG AUTO
MAKERS STARTS !
Licensed Association To Bring Suit
Against Detroit and Michigan Mar
ufacturers, Alleging Infringe q
ment of Selden Patent.
Litigation Is the Most Important IN
History Of Industry-Ford Com
pany Not Included.

BY far the most important litigation
in the history Of the automobile In
dustry will be started in Detroit dur
ing the present week. according to
present plans, by the Association OF
Licensed Automobile Manufacturers
against several Detroit automobile
manufacturers who are making cars
not licensed under the Selden patent
The purpose of the litigation Is to en-
join the further manufacture OF cars
not so licensed on the ground that all
are heterogeneous on the Selden pat
eDl. .f
According to advices received by
Attorney James Whittemore, the Al.
l.. A. MS local legal representative.
suits are to be started against all tho
unlicensed companies in Detroit and
Michigan actually engaged In turning
out cars, and suits will follow against
newly organized unlicensed companies
as soon as they begin manufacturing.
There are now about IA unlicensed
companies doing business In Michi-
gan, and most of the companies are
located In Detroit.
From thoroughly reliable sources II
Is learned that the defendants In the
initial batch Of suits will be the Owen
Motor Car Co., the Abbott Motor Car
| Co., the Demot Car Co., the Warren
Detroit Motor Co., the Paige-Detroit
Motor Co. and one other. The list does
not include the Ford Motor Co., the
| lergest of the independent concerns,
and the only one that has taken q
| stand against the A. l.. A. M.
Mr.. Whittemore explains that q
suit started against the Ford In New
York five years ago by the Electric
Vehicle Co., then owner of the patent,
| is still pending, and that final de-
cree against the Ford Co., In favor Of
| the Columbia Motor Car Co., the pres
ent owner, Is expected the last of this
month. In this event, of course, an
immediate appeal would be taken by
the Ford Co., which would put up
bond and continue manufacturing
Nevertheless, some significance u
placed on the fact that the A. L. A. M.
Is not proceeding against the Ford
Co.. Notwithstanding the New York
suit.
Aside from the concerns mentioned,
| the unlicensed companies doing bust
ness In Detroit are the Kritt Motor
Car Co., the Anhut Motor Car Co., the
Watt Motor Co., the Beyster-Detroit
Motor Co., the Van Dyke Motor Car
Co., the Carhartt Motor Car Co. and
the Michigan Six.
The threatened litigation, which
comes as a sequel to the campaign
of education" instituted by the Assoc
citation OF Licensed Automobile Manu-
facturers a few weeks ago, will In
volve property running up into mil
lions OF dollars. and will be followed
with the deepest interest by auto
users, dealers and makers in all parts
OF the country. The patent in ques-
ton expires in about two years. but
II the A. J.. A. M. succeeds in putting
the unlicensed manufacturers out OF
business for that length of time the
! field now open to the smaller COM
panies will have been appropriated by
the licensed companies By the time
the patent expires. 49,.
| The local litigation will be under
the direction of Mr.. Whittemore.