# Petition for Writ of Certiorari — United States v. Esnault-Pelterie

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## Record

- **Collection:** Supreme Court brief
- **Document type:** Petition for Writ of Certiorari
- **Published:** January 1, 1936
- **Citation:** 299 U.S. 201

## Text

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Page
ORION BEBOW poco ccccccccvcccoccoccoossosesosssenscacses 1
Pe cccccccdecenccecesesocessenntéestedéstanuceee 1
GCucebions peeqemted. «oo. ccccccccceccocccccccccescccsecese 2
Statutes involved. ~..... ee eee adocesncbenaxeuse 3
PERIOD co 0 00c02000esecenceesseeesscenndéesssedboaasne 3
Specification of errors to be urged_.... 2... ee 5
Reasons for granting the writ. ...................-.---.--- 7
Ss p ccacevecssueseensensecéesesesenetbsapmunanaes 18

CITATIONS
Cases:
Barnes Automatic Sprinkler Co. v. Walworth Manufactur-

Rae Gi, GS Fes Gonccsascectionscdsanisnassee if
Blake v. San Franciaco, 113 U. 8. 679.2... 202k 9
Cramer Manufacturing Co. v. Nims Pump Co., 9 F. (2d)

Gi Onn.000s0n0nberesesenséstbsévtebéanbsaenesanne 13
Dwight & Lloyd Sintering Co. v. Greenawalt, 27 F. (2d)

Psesncasesesecesséoccassanssassausauaaseenaee 13
Esnault-Pelterie vy. Chance-Vought Corp., 56 F. (2d) 393;

66 F. (2d) 474.___.. occccccceds Ot, Dh aayhe
Fulton Co. v. Powere Regulator C 0., 263 e eee 15
Holland Furniture Co. v. Perkins Glue Co., 277 U. 8. 245_- 12
Jamea v. Campbell, 104 U. 8. 356. ....... 2. ..--------- 13
Knor v. Qisicksilver Mining Co., 4 Fed. 809__.......____- 15
Olmstead v. Andrewa, 77 Fed. 835_...............------ 11
Pennaylvania R. Co. v. Locomotive Co., 110 U. 8S. 490__ ~~ 10 _
Railway Co. v. Sayles, 97 U. S. 564...................-- 13
Sargent v. Hall Safe & Lock Co., 114 U. 8. 63...... ----- 12
Smith v. Magic City Club, 282 U. 8. 784.............--- 15
Snow v. Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Ry. Co., 121 .

Bn We Gai wecccescndsneccinasssdebassenmeaneaneened 12
Toledo Scale Co. v. Computing Scale Co., 9 F. (2d) 823__.- 11

‘ Underwood v. Gerber, 149 U. 8. 224...---.-----.-------- 11
Webster Electric Co. v. Splitdorf Electrical Co., 264 U. 8.
Gis cccuccesncsccdsédbanteadeuanedtesubasdsddaae 13
: Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. v. Metropolitan
Blecivrie Mfg. Co., 300 Pod. O61... 2... ccc ccc ccccces 15
, Wollensak v. Sargent, 151 U. 8. 221..................-- 10, 11
Statutes:
Act of June 25, 1910, as amended by Act of July 1, 1918

CU. Bs Gig Heese GE, GOR, Gin ccccccccccccnsesessusess 20
Judicial Code, sec. 155 (U.S. C., Title 28, sec. 261)... _- 21
Revised Statutes:

Sec. 4886 (U.S. C., Title 35, see. 31)...........--- 18
Sec. 4887 (U. 8. C., Title 35, sec. 32).............- 18
Sec. 4923 (U. 8. C., Title 35, sec. 72).............- 19

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Inthe Supreme Court of the United States

OctoBeR TERM, 1935

No. —

Unirep States oF AMERICA, PETITIONER
v.
Rosert ESNAULT-PELTERIE

PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT
OF CLAIMS OF THE UNITED STATES
The Solicitor General, on behalf of the United
States of America, prays that a writ of certiorari
issue to review the interlocutory judgment of the
Court of Claims of the United States entered in the
above cause on January 24, 1936.

OPINION BELOW

The opinion of the Court of Claims is not yet

reported.
JURISDICTION

The interlocutory judgment of the Court of
Claims was entered January 24, 1936. The juris-
diction of this Court is invoked under Section 3

(b) of the Act of February 13, 1925.
(1)

2
QUESTIONS PRESENTED

1. Whether the patent in suit may be construed
to cover a single lever for controlling the equilib-
rium of an airplane, or whether it should be con-
strued as being limited to a combination compris-
ing a lever anda single integral or unitary tail
structure of an airplane. “

2. If the patent in suit may be construed to cover
a single lever for controlling the equilibrium of an
airplane, whether such a device was patentable
over prior disclosures. |

3. Whether the patent in suit covers a device
that was patentable over respondent’s French pat-
ent, No. 372753, which was applied for more than
a year prior tethe filing in this country of the
application for the patent in suit.

4, Whether the patent in suit, application for
which was filed in this country on January 16, 1908,
is invalid by virtue of the fact that the claims al-
leged to cover the single control lever here involved
were not inserted in the application until June 12,
4913; the control lever, during the intervening pe-
riod, having come into general use in the United
States, and having been described in printed pub-
lications.

5). Whether the respondent, by acquiescing in
the rejection by the examiner of patents of claim
13, is estopped from contending: that the claims of
the patent in suit should be construed to cover a
single lever for operating the means for control-
ling the equilibrium of an airplane.

3

6. Whether the patent in suit is invalid by vir-
tue of the fact that its ¢laims, if construed to em-
brace a single equilibrium control lever, are not
supperted by its disclosure.

7. Whether the patent in suit is invalid by vir-
tue of the fact that the control lever alleged to be
covered by it was in public use in France prior to
the date of its alleged invention by the respondent.

8. Whether the claims of the patent in suit were
infringed by the United States.

STATUTES INVOLVED

The statutes involved. will be found in the Ap-
pendix, infra, pp. 18-21.

STATEMENT

This suit was brought by the respondent, Robert
Esnault-Pelterie, ‘a citizen of France, against the
United States in the Court of Claims to recover
compensation for the use of an airplane control
device said to be covered by United States Patent
No. 1115795 issued to respondent on November 3,
1914. This device consists of a universally piv-
oted vertical lever, known as a joy-stick, utilized
for controlling the longitudinal and transverse
~ equilibria of airplanes and so connected that the
tilt of the airplane follows the tilt of the stick. The
device is generally employed in.all but the heavier
types of airplanes in use by both the Army and the
Navy. Finding XLVII. .

The court below found that at least one of each
of three types of airplanes, Curtiss JN-4D, DeHavi-

+

land DH-4B, and Loening monoplane M-—81 was
manufactured for and used by the United States
without license or permission from the respondent
(Finding XIX), and it was stipulated between the
parties that proof of the manufacture for or use
by the United States of any airplanes other than
these three might be deferred until after an adjudi-
_ eation of the questions of validity and infringe-
ment of the patent in suit. Finding XXIII. The
control systems of the Curtiss, DeHaviland, and
Loening planes referred to are substantially the
same.

These planes are steered directionally by a rud-
der which is controlled by a centrally -pivoted hor-
izontal rudder bar or lever situated directly in
front of the pilot and in position for actuation by
. the pilot’s feet. The longitudinal attitude of the
planes is controlled by a tail surface, pivoted on a
horizontal axis and generally known as the ‘‘ele-
vator’’, which by being turned up or down causes
the airplane to ascend or descend, as required. The
lateral attitude is controlled by hinged segments
of the wings, generally known as ailerons. The
latter are turned up or down, as the case may be,
in order to cause the airplane to tilt or ‘‘bank’’ to-
one side or the other as desired. The vertical lever
known as the joy-stick, claimed to infringe the
patent in suit, is located near the pilot’s seat and
is manually operated. It is capable of movement
in all directions, and is so connected with the ele-

—

a

vator and the ailerons that by a fore-and-aft mo-
tion it actuates the elevator, by a side-to-side mo-
tion it actuates the ailerons, and by an oblique
movement it affects both the ailerons and the eleva-
tor simultaneously. When the joy-stick is moved

. forward the airplane noses down; when it is moved

rearwardly the airplane noses up; when the lever
is moved to the right, the plane rolls to the right;
when it is moved to the left the plane rolls to the
left; and when the lever is moved to any interme-
diate position a consequent movement of the air-
plane will be produced corresponding relatively to
the degree of inclination and the direction of move-
ment of the lever. Findings XXI and XXII.

The respondent in this suit relies upon claims
2 and 5 to 9, inclusive, of his Patent No. 1115795.
These claims are set out in Finding IX.

The court below on November 4, 1935, filed

- special findings of fact, and on January 24, 1936,

it directed the entry of an interlocutory judgment,
holding that the respondent’s patent is valid and
has been infringed by the United States, and that
the respondent is entitled to compensation under
the Act of June 25, 1910, as amended by the Act of

July 1, 1918. An interlocutory judgment was

entered accordingly.

SPECIFICATION OF ERRORS TO BE URGED

The Court of Claims erred:
1. In holding that the patent in suit covers a

‘single control lever that was patentable over prior

disclosures.

6

2. In failing to hold that the claims of the patent
in suit should be construed as being limited to a
combination comprising a lever and a single, in-
tegral or unitary tail structure of an airplane.

3. In holding that the patent in suit covers a
device that was patentable over respondent’s
French patent, No. 372753, applied for on De-
cember 19, 1906, and issued on February 28, 1907.

4. In failing to hold that the patent in suit was
invalid by virtue of the fact that although the ap-
plication therefor was filed on January 16, 1908,
the claims alleged to cover the single control lever
here involved were not inserted into the appliea-
tion until June 12, 1913; the control lever, during
the intervening period, having come into general
use in the United States, and having been described
in printed publications,

5. In failing to hold that respondent was estop-
" ped, by acquiescing in the rejection by the examiner
of patents of claim 13, from contending that the
-elaims of the patent in suit should be construed to
cover a single lever for operating the means of
controlling the equilibrium of an airplane.

6. In failing to hold that the patent in suit, if
construed. to embrace a single control lever, is in-
valid by virtue of the fact that its claims are not
supported by its disclosure...

7. In failing to hold that the patent in suit, if
construed to embrace a single control lever, is in-
valid hy virtue of the fact that the control lever

7

alleged to be covered by the patent was in publie
use in France prior to the date of its alleged
invention by the respondent.

8. In holding that the claims of the patent in suit
were infringed by the United States.

REASONS FOR GRANTING THE WRIT

1. The Court of Claims in this case and the Cir-
cuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in
Esnault-Pelterie v. Chance Vought Corporation,
66 F. (2d) 474, have rendered conflicting decisions
on the validity and construction of the patent in
suit and its infringement by modern airplane con-
trol levers. In the Chance-Vought case the Circuit
Court of Appeals, in affirming the decision of the
District. Court for the Eastern District of New
York (56 F. (2d) 393) held (pp. 477, 478) that,
in view of the prior art, there was no novelty in
the use of a single vertical lever capable of move-
ment in any direction to operate two or three con-
trols, or in determining, as an engineering prob-
lem, the choice as to which of the three controls
should be operated by the single lever; that the
patentee of the patent in suit may not claim inven-
tion in the asserted instinctive use hy the operator
of the control lever; that the patent should be nar-
rowly construed as limited to the integral verti-
‘cal and horizontal rudder structure disclosed in
respondent’s patent employing the so-called bird

tail or ringtail unit for control, with a restricted
62908—36——2

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8

range of equivalents; and that, as so construed,
the patent was not infringed by the airplane of the
defendant in that suit. In the ease at bar, the court
below held that the patent should not be limited to
the integral vertical and horizontal rudder strue-
ture of the bird tail or ringtail unit, but should be
broadly construed as covering a single vertical con-
trol stick whereby the entire equilibrium of an air-
plane may be controlled with a single instinctive
tilt of the control stick in any direction, causing the
plane to tilt in a similar direction; and that as so
- construed the patent was valid and was infringed
by the airplanes of the United States using such a
control stick. The airplane involved in the
Chance-V ought case and those involved in the pres-
ent case employed the single control lever. The
construction and function of the lever were the
same in each instance.

2. The questions of the validity and construction
of the patent in suit and its infringement by mod-
ern airplane controls are of momentous impor-
tance both to the Government and to the entire air-
craft industry, due to the extensive use of the
control lever. In view of the conflict of opinion -
between the Court of Claims and the Circuit Court
of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as to whether
the patent in suit covers such a control lever, a
final adjudication should be had by this Court.
The amount involved in this suit alone is very
large, as it is assumed that on the accounting the

9

respondent would claim a royalty on the great ma-
jority of airplanes used by;:the Government during
the period commencing six years prior to the in-
stitution of the action and the expiration of the
patent. This suit has been pending for a number
of years. |

3. The petition for a writ of certiorari is pre-
sented at this stage of the case—after an entry of
an interlocutory judgment holding the patent valid
and infringed—rather than after final judgment,
since, if this Court should grant the writ and re-
verse the decision of the court below, prolonged
and costly accounting proceedings may be avoided.

4. It is submitted that the decision of the Court
of Claims is erroneous, for a number of reasons.

(a) The single lever for controlling the longi-
tudinal and transverse equilibrium of an airplane
alleged to be covered by the patent in suit does not
constitute a patentable invention. The use of a
single lever mounted on. a universal joint and
capable of movement in all directions for the pur-
pose of controlling thé action of different mech-
anisms, was well known.at the time that the pat-
entee claims to have made his invention. (See pat-
ents to Wadsworth,- Weeber, Wilson, and Simp-

son, described in Findings XXIV, XXXII, -

XXXII, XXXVI, and XXXVII.) This Court
has frequently held that it does not constitute in-
vention to. take a well-known device and put it on
a new type of apparatus. Blake v. San Francisco,

PH WE

~ 10

113 U. 8. 679,.682; Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v.
Locomotive Co., 1100. 8. 490; Wollensak v. Sar-_
gent, 151 U. 8. 221, 227. The use of levers in air-
planes for control purposes was likewise old. (See
French patent to Laroze; French patent to Penaud
and Gauchot; British patent to Davidson; French
patent to Macedo; German patent to Schussler ;
German patent. to Jung and British patent to
Quentin, all of which are summarized in Findings
XXIV, XXVIII, XXV, XXVI, X XVII, XXIX,
XXX, and XXXV.) On this point the Circuit
. Court of Appeals stated in Esnault-Pelterie v.
Chance Vought Corporation, 66 F. (2d) 474, 478:
There is no novelty in the use of a lever
to operate two or three controls, or in déter-
mining, as an éhgineering problem, the
choice as to which of the three controls
should be operated by a single lever.

The Court of Claims, moreover, indicated that
the fact that, in its opinion, the control lever oper-
ated in a manner that it called instinctive, was a
reason for holding that the device was the product
of inventive genius, and, therefore, the proper sub-
ject of a patent. This suggestion was discussed in
detail by the Circuit Court of Appeals and repudi-
ated, 66 F. (2d) 477. e
~ (b) The plaintiff obtained three French patents.
His first French patent was issued on February 28,
1907, as the result of an application filed on De-
cember 19, 1906 (Finding III). The application

- = ge ne ne ht i a ln

‘11

for the patent in suit was filed in the United
States on January 16, 1908, more than twelve
months subsequent to the French filing date. Con-
sequently, under Section 4887 of the Revised Stat-
utes (U.S. Code, Title 35, See. 32), fra p. 18 the
plaintiff was barred from receiving a patent in this
country on the inve ition covered by his first French
patent. The patent in suit may, therefore, be sus-
tained only if, and in so far as, it claims a struc-
ture that is patentable over the 1906 French patent.
The latter disclosed two horizontal levers, one of
which was movable in all directions, employed for
the purpose of manipulating the control surfaces of
anairplane. Finding IV. The patent in suit shows
two vertical levers used for that purpose. The
principal difference in the two structures is the
difference in position between the two levers—one
horizontal, the other vertical. -We submit that it
was not invention to transpose the horizontal stick
to a vertieal position. Wollensak v. Sargent,
supra; Underwood v. Gerber, 149 U. 8. 224; Olm-
stead v. Andrews & Co., T1 Fed. 835; Toledo Scale
Co. vy. Computing Scale Co., 9 F. (2d) 823, 824 ;
Barnes Antomatie Sprinkler Co. v. Walworth
Manufacturing Co., @ Fed. 605, 607. Both the
District Court and the Circuit Court of Appeals
in the Chance-V ought case so held on this pgint, 56
F. (2d) 395; 66 F. (2d) 475, 477, 478.

(ce) The claims, even if valid, should be limited
to a combination comprising a single integral or

12

unitary tail structure. The specification forming
a part of the respondent’s patent discloses a struc-
ture in which the tail surfaces, instead of compris-
ing a separate elevator and a separate rudder, as
is the case with all modern airplanes, consists of a
single integral or unitary structure to be used both
as an elevator and as a rudder, according to the di-
rection in which it is manipulated by the control
levers. The Circuit Court of Appeals in the
Chance-Vought suit held that, in the light of the
prior art, the claims of the respondent’s patent in -
no event could be permitted to read broadly on the
modern vertical contro] lever, but at best should
be limited and restricted to a combination of the
control levers with an integral or unitary tail struc-
ture, 66 F. (2d) 478. This Court has not infre-
quently placed a narrow construction on and lim-
ited patent claims so as to conform them to the
exact disclosure, in order to save them from being
declared entirely invalid. ‘Sargent v. Hall Safe &
Eock Co., 114 U. S. 63; Snow v. Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern Railway Co., 121 U. 8S. 617,
629; Holland Furniture Co. vy. Perkins Glue Co.,
277 U.S. 245, 256. On this point there is a direct
conflict between the Court of Claims in this case,
and the Circuit Court of Appeals in the Chance-
Vought case.

_ (d) The respondent filed his application for —
Letters Patent in this country on January 16, 1908.
The patent was issued on November 3, 1914. The

13

claims alleged to have been infringed were inserted
into the application by amendment on June 12,
1913 (Finding VIII). During a part of the period
intervening between January 16, 1908, and June
12, 1913, the application contained no claims cover-
ing the control lever. Yet during that period the
device came into general use in this country (Find-
ing XX XVIII; paragraphs 1 and 2). We submit
that these facts rendered the patent invalid. Rail-
way Co. v. Saytes, 97 U. 8. 554, 563-564; James v.
Campbell, 104 U.S. 356, 370; Webster Electric Co.
vy. Splitdorf Electrical Co., 264 U. S. 463, 465;
Cramer Manufacturing Co. v. Nims Pump Co.,
9. F. (2d) 914; Dwight & Lloyd Sintering Co. v.°
Greenawalt, 27 F. (2d) 823, 830.
(e) The court below should have held that re-
spondent was estopped from claiming that his
patent covers a single control lever because of
respondent’s acquiescence in the rejection by the
Patent Office of respondent’s claim 13. Claim 138
was filed February 1, 1909, and was for ‘‘ An aero-
plane having means for controlling its inclination
and a single lever for operating said means to
control both the longitudinal and the transverse
stability of the apparatus, said lever being ar-
ranged ‘to oscillate in different vertical planes,
means for transmitting its movement in one plane
to the means for governing the longitudinal in-
clination, and means for transmitting its movement
in the other plane to the means for determining

14

the transverse stability, said lever being mounted
to permit also an oblique movement having com-
ponents in*each of said planes so as to actuate
simultaneously the means for establishing longi-
tudinal stability and that for establishing trans-
verse stability.’”? The examiner of patents on
March 2, 1909, rejected the claim for alleged lack
of invention over the French patent to -Laroze.
The respondent asked for a reconsideration;of the
claim, and the examiner on May 10, 1910, and
again on May 27, 1911, rejected the claim, this
time on the basis of the Davidson as well as the
-Laroze patent. On May 23, 1912, the respondent
cancelled the claim. On June 12, 1913, respondent
filed a new set of four claims, and on June 13,
1914, filed an additional claim. These claims were
subsequently allowed as claims 5 to 9, inclusive, of
the patent in suit. Finding VIII. They appear
in Finding IX, and each is for a combination of
means for producing lateral stability, means for
producing ‘longitudinal stability, and a single ver-
tical lever.

The principle is well settled that where an ap-
plicant for a patent to cover a new combination is
compelled by the rejection of his application by
the Patent, Office to narrow his claim by the intro-
duction of a new element, he cannot after the issue
of the patent broaden his claim by dropping the
element which he was compelled to inelude in order
to secure his patent. If the claim to a combination

15

be restricted to specified elements, all must be re-
varded as material, and limitations imposed by the
inventor, especially such as were introduced into
an application after it had been persistently re-
jected, must be strictly construed against the in-
ventor and looked upon as disclaimers. The pat-
entee is thereafter estopped to claim the benefit of
his rejected claim or such a construction of his
amended claim as would be equivalent thereto.
Smith v. Magic City Club, 282 U.S. 784, 789.

(f) The patent should have been held invalid
also on the ground that the claims, if construed as
respondent contends they should be, are not sup-
ported by the disclosure. In other words, the
specification describes one type of structure,
whereas, the claims alledgedly cover a device which
is entirely different. It is well settled that under
such circumstanees the claims are invalid. Knox
v. Quicksilver Mining Co., 4 Fed. 809; Fulton Co.
v. Powers Regulator Co., 263 Fed. 578, 580; West-
inyhouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. v. Metro-
politan Electric Mfg. Co., 290 Fed. 661, 664. In
this instance, the device disclosed in the patent
consists of two levers, one to control the steering
and the other for manipulating the means for
maintaining longitudinal and lateral stability.
The two levers are interconnected and interrelated
(Finding XIV). The claims in suit purport to
cover a single vertical lever to actuate the longi-
tudinal and lateral controls. The Govermment’s

16
position on this point accords with the decision of
the Circuit of Appeals in the Chance Vought case,
66 F. (2d) 477.

(g) Prior to the date of the respondent’s alleged
invention, single levers mounted on universal
joints and capable of movement in all directions
had actually been used on airplanes for the pur-
pose of actuating the control surfaces. This was
done by Captain Ferber in 1904 and 1905 (Finding
XLI), and by Bleriot, who later became famous
as the first aviator to fly across the English
Channel (Finding XLIII). This prior use, how-
ever, took place in France, and the court below
held that in orcer to bar a United States patent
prior public use must have taken place in this
country, in view of the provisions of Revised Stat-
utes, Section 4923, infra, p. 19. Undoubtedly that
is the law in case of an American patentee, but the
question whether R. S. 4923 should be applicable
to a situation such as is presented here, where the
patentee is a citizen of the foreign country where
the prior use took place, has never been directly
passed upon by this Court, or by any other court.
It is increasingly important with the growth of
modern means of communication and interchange
of information.

(h) In the Chance-V sail ease, the Circuit
Court of Appeals held that the claims of respond-
ent’s patent had not been infringed by the Chance-
Vought Corporation. The court below, differing

We erie crn ee sk a.
>

v
17

with the Circuit Court of Appeals as to the scope
of the patent, held that the claims of the patent had
been infringed by the Government. If the claims
-be restricted as they were by the Circuit Court of
Appeals, and as we contend they should be, there
ean be no doubt that the Government airplanes do
not infringe them. ;

Wherefore, it is respectfully submitted that this .

petition for a writ of certiorari should be granted.
STANLEY REED,
Solicitor General.
APRIL 1936. .

APPENDIX

R. S., Section 4886 (U.S. C., Title 35, Sec. 31):

Any person who has invented or discov-
ered any new and useful art, machine, man-
ufacture, or composition of matter, or any
new and useful improvements thereof, or
who has invented or discovered and asexu-
ally reproduced any distinct and new va-
riety: of plant, other than a tuber-propa-
gated plant, not known or used by others in
this country, before his invention or dis-
covery thereof, and not patented or de-
scribed in any printed publication in this
or any foreign country, before his invention
or discovery thereof, or.more than two years
prior to his application, and not in public
use or on sale in this country for more than
two years prior, to his application, unless the
same is proved to have been abandoned,
may, upon payment of the fees required by
law, and other due proceeding had, obtain
a patent therefor.

R. S., Section 4887 (U.S. C., Title 35, Sec. 32) :

No person otherwise entitled thereto shall
be debarred from receiving a patent for his
invention or discovery, nor shall any patent
be declared invalid by reason of its having
been first patented or caused to be patented
by the inventor or his legal representatives
or assigns in a foreign country, unless the
application for said foreign patent was filed
more than twelve months, in cases within
the provisions of section 31 of this title, and
four months in cases of designs, prior to the

(18)

19

filing of the application in this country, in
which case no patent shall be granted in this
country.

An application for patent for an inven-
tion or discovery or for a design filed in this
country by any person who has previously

regularly filed an application for a patent —

for the same invention, discovery, or design
in a foreign country which, by treaty, con-
vention, or law, affords similar privileges to
citizens of the United States shall have the
same force and effect as the same applica-
tion would have if filed in this country on
the date on which the application for patent
for the same invention, discovery, or design
was first filed in such foreign country, pro-
vided the application in this country is filed
within twelve months in cases within the
provisions of section 31 of this title, and
within four months in cases of designs,
from the earliest date on which any such
foreign application was filed. But no patent
shall be granted on an application for patent
for an invention or discovery or a design
which had been patented or described in a
printed publication in this or any foreign
country more than two years before the date
of the actual filing of the application in this
country, or which had been in publi use or
on sale in this country for more than two
years prior to such ges

R.S., Section 4923 (U.S. C., Title 35; Slee. 72):

Whenever it appears that a patentee, at
the time of making his application for the
patent, believed himself to be the original
and first inventor or discoverer of the thing
patented, the same shall not be held to be
void on account of the invention or discov-
ery, or any part thereof, having been known

.
mag cee

20

or used in a foreign country, before his in-
vention or discovery thereof, if it had not
been patented or described in a printed pub-
lication.

Act of June 25, 1910, as amended by Act of July
1, 1918 (U.S. C., Title 35, See. 68) :

Whenever an invention described in and
covered by a patent of the United States
shall be used or manufactured by or for the
United States without license of the owner
thereof or lawful right to use or manufac-
ture the same, such owner’s remedy shall
be by suit against the United States in the
Court of Claims for the recovery of his rea- ©
sonable and entire compensation for such
use and manufacture. The Court of Claims
shall not entertain a suit or award compen-
sation under the provisions of this section
where the claim for compensation is based
on the use or manufacture by or for the
United States of any article owned, leased,
used by, or in the possession of the United
States prior to June 25, 1910. In any such
suit the United States may avail itself of
any and all defenses, general or special, that
might be pleaded by a defendant in an action
for infringement, as set forth in this chap-
ter, or otherwise. The benefits of the provi-
sions of this section shall not inure to any
patentee who, when he makes such claim, is
in the employment or service of the Gov-
ernment of the United States, or the
assignee of any such patentee. This section
shall not apply to any device discovered or
invented by suck employee during the time
of his employment or service.

bet i Nia La alin a Reds aL ts

21

, Judicial Code, Section 155 (U.S. C., Title 28,
' See. 261):

Aliens who are citizens or subjects of any
Government which accords to citizens of
the United States the right to prosecute
claims against such Government in its
courts, shall have the privilege of prosecut-
ing claims against the United States in the
Court of Claims, whereof such court, by
reason of their subject matter and charac-
ter, might take jurisdiction.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1936

SET RAEN FORO ROR,

HATE ERY OAT te SRE

SSL. aha nT ee

Naa SONS RENE AN A SeN AR KQUET Treg
a “

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/brief%3Amicro_IA40386010_0083%3A02. Public record. Not legal advice.
