The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-06-19
SUPREME COURT MADE NUMEROUS
 RADIO RULINGS
Tube Decision Most Inc
 portant Affecting Inc dustry During Session


 
 Washington.-The supreme court, passing as it does on almost all phases of American activity reflects, sometimes tardily the trend of Am erican manners and customs.
 For this reason, perhaps, radio. which has become a more or less accepted feature of domestic and commercial activity, received much attention during the recently con- cluded court session.
 Most notable of it's decisions was that involving the Langmuir patents on high vacuum radio tubes. The strenuous legal battle indicated ti was one of the most prized of the many patents held by the Radio Corporation of America, the General Electric company and their associat- ed corporations.
 Patent Ruled Invalid
 The Yangmuir tube patent was based on the knowledge that the high degree of vacuum within the tube greatly improved reception. While Langumuir first used that knowledge, the court found his pa- tent was invalid, since other radio pioneers had also had the knowledge.
 The Langmuir ruling followed close on another order of the court, which, although without opinion, was considered heavy blow at the Ra- dio Corporation.
 Hhis was when it refused to alter the Philadelphia circuit court ruling which held the corporation's licens- ing contract requiring licensees to aquip newly made sets with RIGA tubes violated the antitrust acts.
 Another important radio case was .Is iAvn It involved the patents owned by the Lektophone Corporation on the cope type of loud speaker. The patent is known as the Hopkins patent.
 Loud Speaker Ruling
 In deciding this case the court did not attempt to question the validity of the Lektophone patents. It mere ly ruled that two very similar de- vices manufacturede by the Rola company and Miller Brothers com pany did not infringe on the Lekto- phone company's patent. This was in itself important, as the Lekto- phone company had for a long time successfully sustained a broad pow CT under its patents in a series or court battles.
 What theratened to become an at tack on the entire authority of the IcQGTdL IdulO COiikAhAoSAOht .'Nk' ed aside cary in the term by the court when it refused to pass on the question of the validity of the com missions authority.
 Two cases were brought up aues-, questioning the commission's power. one of these was brought by Clfn- ton R. White and the other by the American Bond & Mortgage com-. pany and Trianon, Inc. In these cases series of questions seeming ly touching on the validity of the federal radio act were presented. The broadcasters contended that they had invested substantial sums in the development of their stations, had created an audience, and were receiving a substantial income from tfe operation of their properties.
 Radio License Denied
 Both station shad operated under lincenses from the secretary of com merce and the radio commission but later had applications forrenewa1 de- nied them.
 The court refused to answer the. uuetsions presented to 1t, however. ruling that they were too general to furnish q proper test. Copyright owners were given wide powers by the court in an interpre- tation of the copyright law, passed for in advance of the realization Of popular radio reception.
 This ruling was handed down in two test cases brought in St. Louis, Mo-, by Gene Buck. as president of the Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, against the Jewell LaSalle Realty company, operators of a St. Louis hotel which furnished its guests with radio in every room.
 Justice Brandeis in writing the courts opinion held that when these radio receiving sets tuned in on broadcasts carrying unauthor presen- tations of copyright music, the hotel company infringed the copyright. Brandeis based his ruling on the theory that radio reproduced" sound rather than transmitted" it and that therefore the rendition was a violation of the reproduction" clause of the law.