REDUCED ROYALTIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 453, 7 September 1928, Page 9

REDUCED ROYALTIES

MARCONIS TO APPEAL (United I*.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z Press Association) (United Service) LONDON, Thursday. The Marconi Company intends to appeal against the recent decisions of the Patents Office tribunal in the applications of the Loewe Radio Company and the Brownie Wireless Company.

In order to assist other manufacturers, however, the Marconi Company will grant licences to all manufacturers on the same terms forthwith on request, if the Appeal Court confirms the decisions of the tribunal.

A special tribunal of the Patents Office on August 24 heard an application by tue Loewe Radio Company for either a compulsory licence under, or a revocation or, the five letters patent owned by the -uarconi Wireless Telegraph Company and the British Thompson Houston Company. •he tribunal was satisfied that an abuse or monopoly rights had oeen established. It decided that the applicants should be granted a licence and should pay royalties of 10s for each triple valve and 7s fid e ac;h for double valve, subject to a condition under which the parties were to oe allowed 21 days to settle. A few days later the Brownie Wireless Company applied to the tribunal for a Compulsory licence under the Marconi patents. Plaintiffs contended that radio manufacturers generally were prejudiced by having to pay unreasonable royalties which prevented them competing with home-made sets. The tribunal made an order for a reduction in the amount of the existing royalties payable by certain naive holders from 12 s 6d each to 10 Per cent, of the wholesale selling price.