Untitled

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 23, 21 December 1928, Page 6

a GENERAL satisfaction will be felt amongst all interested in the general advance of radio, at the information now officially available, that settlement has been reached by the Government in respect of the claims for patent royalties presented by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited. At the moment of writing, a comparatively bare official statement only is available. This states that agreement was reached in October last, and payment totalling £10,852 made on November 10. The agreement provides that an annual payment of 3s. per head be made to the Company, in respect of each licensed listener, and in recognition of this payment the Government is free to make use of the Company’s patents for broad‘casting purposes. Further, the right apparently has been granted to the Post and Telegraph Department to grant licenses to dealers to deal in patents held by the Amalgamated Wireless Company without risk of an action for damages. FfROM the listeners’ point of view, it is satisfactory to note that it "ig not intended that the annual license fee of 30s. paid by listeners should be increased. This, to our mind, is a very commendable decision, in that it is undesirable to impose any additional cost which would be likely to hinder the extension of radio. HILE there are amongst the traders a number who held that the validity of the patent claims of the Australian Company were open to question and who were even prepared to back up their view by the provision of a substantial fighting fund, the general body of opinion will, we think, agree that if extensive litigation ~was avoidable, it should be avoided. Doubtless, it was considerations of this nature together with recognition of both the legal and perhaps the moral claim of the Company to payment for the use of its patents, that induced the Government to effect the agreement. An important outcome of the arrangement has yet to eventuate, namely, a conference between the Department and the associated radio dealers. Keen interest will attach to this conference on the part of the trade pending determination of the amount, if any, of the retrospective payment that the trade is to be asked to bear. It may be, of course, that no such sacrifice will be asked of the'trade, but that provision may be made through the license to deal in radio goods, which the Department now has power to impose, for recouping the initial outlay made in settlement of the retrospective claims. _ That, perhaps, would be a very desirable consummation in the circumstances as it would free the trade from a sum which would be in the nature of a penalty, and permit of future payments being based upon turnover. SO far as the Broadcasting Company is concerned; it would not appear to be affected in the slightest by the arrangement. At the time that the Company was formed, it will be remembered that the Government as a condition of the arrangement entered into, assumed. all liability for royalty claims, The Company was therefore

relieved of all legal and moral obligations in respect to these claims: because of the bargain then struck. In the comparatively limited knowledge now available to us, we think it will be agreed generally that for the future good of radio, the agreement reached is wholly beneficial. By it, progress may be made with the assurity that there is no cloud hanging overhead.