| I wasn't aware of the Seldon patent and it's fascinating reading but
after all the legal bruhaha of the early 1900's, the Seldon patent was found to
be valid only for an automobile driven by a Brayton-type engine of the specific
type described in the patent, which in effect cut the patent off at the
knees.
As such, i still have the view that there was never an all
encompassing patent for the concept of the motorized vehicle itself and i feel
my original statement was correct. So unless you have some other referenced
patent which will change my view, i'll stick with the statement i made
:)
And it's odd how some things never change. Courts make big mistakes which
take years to sort out. In this Seldon case, had the correct decision been made
at the beginning, Seldon may not have extorted so much cash from the industry...
And in some ways the Seldon patent and his attempt to lock up a complete
industry is reminiscent of today's mobile phone legal battles where Apple views
rounded corners and slide to unlock as the cornerstone of smart phones. Maybe
Apple should consider the quote "Probably nothing so well advertised the Ford
car and the Ford Motor Company as did this suit," Henry Ford said in his 1923
autobiography My Life and Work, written with Samuel Crowther (found towards the
bottom of the page in referenced link above). It seems Apple may be giving
Android and Samsung a big publicity kick :) [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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