page_title: United States v. General Electric Co.
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: United States v. General Electric Co. / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture of US Pat No. 1,0118,502, involved in the 1926 US v GE case. The patent is a government publication.
context_page_description: United States v. General Electric Co., 272 U.S. 476, is a decision of the United States Supreme Court holding that a patentee who has granted a single license to a competitor to manufacture the patented product may lawfully fix the price at which the licensee may sell the product.
context_section_description: GE owned three patents that “cover[ed] completely the making of the modern electric lights with the tungsten filaments.” GE accounted for 69% of total manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs, and Westinghouse, 16%. GE licensed Westinghouse to manufacture and sell light bulbs on the condition that Westinghouse should sell at prices that GE fixed and changed at its discretion.
caption: GE's patent on the tungsten filament lamp, US Pat 1,018,502 -- one of the patents that the Supreme Court said completely covered the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs
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