Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-23
CELLULO|D FIRM
SEEKS VAST SUM
FROM KODAK CO.
$15,ooo,ooo Damages Asked
from Eastman interests by
Local Manufacturers.
PATENTED MACHINE
USED ILLEGALLY?
Concern Alleged to Have Used
1t to Make Photographic
and Movie" Films.

Suit for $15,OO0,000 damages has
been started by the Celluloid Com
pany. of this city. against the East
man Kodak Company, of Rochester
n. Y, for alleged infringement of a
patent on a film making machine
Papers in the suit were filed late
yesterday afternoon in the Newark
branch of the United States District
Court by counsel for the plaintiffs.
The Celluloid Company in it's state
ment claims it is the pioneer In de-
Vising a machine for the manufac-
ture of film rolls. 1t alleges that the
Eastman concrn has grown immense
ly prosperous from illegal use of the
Celluloid Companys machine for the
manufacture of Photographic and
motion picture films. Basing its fig
ures ON the almost inconceivably
great development of picture theatres
in the last six years, the Celluloid
Company asks for specific judgment
of $5000,000. But because there is a
clause in the patent law which makes
1t far worse for company "wilfully"
to infringe, the complaining company
asks for triple damages and costs"
which will bring the sum in dispute
up to one of the largest amounts ever
named in litigation
Th1s Is the second suit filed within
six months by the Celluloid Company
against the Eastman interests. Last
February an action was started in
Rochester on the Eastman Com
pany's alleged infringement of the
Celluloid concerns patented process
for making flexible films. No specific
amount of damages was named in
the suit filed earlier in the year, the
court having the power to assess
damages If any have been sustained.
1t Is alleged the Eastman corpora
ton has been using the patented Gel
luloid company machine 'er at least
four and half years The dates
given are from July /, 1909, to De-
cember 70, 1913, the date of the ex-
plratlon of the seventeen years
patent rights on the machine
Inc late Rev. Hannibal Goodwin.
fee.or Oh the House of Prayer, Broad
ana State streets, this city, was the
inventor of the flexible photographic
celluloid film. 1t is said the minister
mad the financial assistance of Mar
shall Z. Lefferts, president of the Gel
luloid Company, and the inventive
genius of John II. Stevens. consulting
chemist of the Celluloid Company, in
working out the invention. Mr.. Good
win started his experiments i'm the
early eighties and worked to make a
thin roll film in place of the heavy
glass plate which at that time was
used In nearly all Photographic work
Aided the Inventor.
According to the papers in the suit.
II was Mr. Letferts and Mr.. Stevens
who worked out for the clergyman the
proper solution to produce sheets of
celluloid film of uniform thickness.
In September 1898, Rev. Mr.. Goodwin
obtained patent on his invention.
He later consolidated his interests
with the Ansco Company, a photo
graphic film concern
Learning that the Eastman concern
was using the Goodwin film. the
Goodwin -Ansco interests brought
suit, which was finally settled out of
court some months ago by the pay
ment of about $4,000,00O to the Good
win heirs by the Eastman interests,
according to information. The exact
sum secured by the settlement was
kept a secret.
Mr.. Goodwins death happened
years before the settlement and he
never received any pecuniary reward
for his invention. He was practically
penniless at the time of his demise.
His widow resided at SO Berkeley ave-
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