Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
GERMANY SEEKS
REVIEW OF CLAIMS
War. Time Seizure of Radio
Patents to Be Taken Up
September |.

The German government has asked
the war claims arbiter Of the United
States. Judge Edwin B. Parker, to re.
view its claims for the fabulously val.
liable radio patents and property seized
by the alien property custodian at the
outset Of the World War. The case has
been set for hearing on September /.
These patents, numbering about 100.
include the famous Schloemilch Won
Bronx tuned radio frequency device, the
heart of every radio receiving set and
the basis of protracted litigation involv-
ing its patent priority as against the
privately owned Alexanderson patent
which performs the same basic function.
For all of these patents, the Navy De-
partment paid the alien property o.
todian a mere 81 $50, yet they are cor
sidered among the most valuable pat
ents to radio today.
The claim has been filed with thu
arbiter by Telefunken. the oficial Ger,
man communications agency. No spe.
cif1c request for the amount OF restitu-
ton is made other than lust and rea-
sonable compensation" for the seized
patents.
Pay Asked for Station.
Telefunken. in addition, asks the ar
bitter for payment for the former Ger
man transoceanic radio station at Say
Vile, Long Island. also seized by the
property custodian. Payment of So
100000 for this property, as a going
concern" is sought. The alien property
custodian when he seized the property,
estimated It's value at only $4,000.
The Sayville station was used by the
Government during the war for trans
oceanic communications. 1t Is now
the property of the Mackay Radio Tele-
graph Co. and is being employed in
communication with Europe, South
America and other transoceanic points.
The Navy has made available the
German patents to radio set rnanufac-
turers who nave entered into cross.li-
eensing agreements with It. Atwater
Kent, Zenith, Wired Radio, Inc; Pathe
Radio e. monograph Corporation, and
other manufacturing and radio Arms
have such agreements with the Navy. In
return they allow the Navy to use all of
proviso that the Navy will have access
to all future patents acquired by the
cross-licensees. The Navy. however
gives in exchange, only the rights to
its present patent holdings. to safe
guard the Government and preclude the
possibility Of obligating Government
property not actually in being.
Importance Of Hearing.
The case is the most important to
come before the arbiter since the Chem
ical Foundation claim, which involved
German dyes seized by the property Gus
todlan. Arguments before Judge Par
ker will be oral. 1t Is not unlikely that
a thorough investigation will be made
by the arbiter into the Won Bronk-Alex-
anderson tuned radio frequency issue.
the Alexsnderson patent, owned by the
Radio Corporation of America, is
claimed to be the original device, But
the "anti-trust" groups claim the Ger
man patent anticipated the Alexander
son one. and therefore renders the latter
illegal.
10 determine the value of the Ger
man claim on the patents. Judge Parker
must decide whether the Won Bronx
patent is legitimate. In two cases de-
cloed by the lower courts in New York
It was held that the Alexanderson pat
ent anticipated the German device 1
but the Supreme Court of Canada Re 1
Gently decided the contrary.
In hearings in May before the Senate
interstate commerce committee II was
brought out that the Navy, although
holding title to the Won Bronx and other
former German radio patents, had
never defended them In the courts
The Department Of Justice Is looking
into the situation to ascertain why tbs,
Navy has never asserted its patent
rights, while the committee, when it re-
convenes its hearing in December.
plans to resume its patent investiga-
ton.
just what, if anything, Germany
will get out of its claim is problemat:-
cal. Congress has appropriated a maxi
mum of 100,000,000 to be paid Ger
man claimants for seized patents, ships
and property, hence the settlement
will necessarily be but portion of this
amount.
(Copyright 1922. By Consolidated Press
Assoce tion.)