[SIGCIS-Members] A paper on Konrad Zuse and Percy Ludgate

Fri Apr 5 05:08:38 PDT 2024

Hello,

there is a wikipedia entry 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone_patent_wars and I dimly remember 
litigation about the invention of the Sony Walkman. There was also a patent 
trial about early Game consoles, Atari vs.Magnavox, see
 <https://thinksetmag.com/insights/digital-detective-pong>

In the early 1950s there were some conflicts (but no litigation IIRC) in 
the field of core memories, as there were some big names involved, MIT, 
Wang, IBM. 

Best wishes from Berlin     Ralf Buelow 

-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] A paper on Konrad Zuse and Percy Ludgate
Datum: 2024-04-05T13:00:01+0200
Von: "Brian Randell" <brian.randell at newcastle.ac.uk>
An: "Evan Koblentz" <evank at njit.edu>

Hi Evan:

Many thanks to you and the others who have sent us encouraging comments 
about our paper, either via SIGCIS or by direct email.

I strongly agree with your suggestion that  “There could be a paper on the 
topic of failed patent defences in computer history”. However, this would 
need expertise in patent law and literature, so is not something I or my 
colleagues would attempt.

We did search for relevant online material about computer patents, but just 
about everything we found was either about software patenting, or just the 
ENIAC patent dispute – we failed to find anything useful about the overall 
roles that patents played during the development of the early computers and 
the beginnings of the computer industry, in any country.

Cheers

Brian

—

School of Computing, Newcastle University, 1 Science Square, Newcastle upon 
Tyne, NE4 5TG

EMAIL = Brian.Randell at ncl.ac.uk   PHONE = +44 191 208 7923

URL =  https://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/staff/profile/brianrandell.html

    On 28/03/2024, 13:28, "Evan Koblentz" <evank at njit.edu> wrote:

    Hello Brian,

    Excellent reading!

    There could be a paper on the topic of failed patent defenses in
    computer history. Comparing Triumph vs. Zuse and Honeywell vs. Rand
    might be especially interesting.

    --

    Evan Koblentz

    New Jersey Institute of Technology

    - Senior Writer, Office of Communications and Marketing

    - Adjunct Instructor, Ying Wu College of Computing

    - Faculty/Staff Advisor, NJIT Lego Club

    evank at njit.edu <mailto:evank at njit.edu> <mailto:evank at njit.edu
    <mailto:evank at njit.edu> >

    (973) 596-3065<https://web.njit.edu/~evank>

    <https://web.njit.edu/~evank/> <https://web.njit.edu/~evank/%3e>

    On 3/28/24 6:19 AM, Brian Randell via Members wrote:

    Dear SIGCIS: I trust I might be permitted to publicise here the fact
    that the paper: "How Percy Ludgate’s 1909 paper (and IBM) helped thwart
    Konrad Zuse’s Computer Patent in 1960" by Brian Coghlan, Ralf Buelow
    and myself has been

    Dear SIGCIS:

    I trust I might be permitted to publicise here the fact that the paper:

    "How Percy Ludgate’s 1909 paper (and IBM) helped thwart Konrad Zuse’s
    Computer Patent in 1960"

    by Brian Coghlan, Ralf Buelow and myself has been accepted for
    publication in the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. It is due
    to appear in Volume 46, Issue 3, July-September 2024.

    Paper Abstract:

    "This investigation outlines how Percy Ludgate’s 1909 paper describing
    his design for a mechanical computer, his “Analytical Machine”, was
    used in 1960 by a German patent attorney to thwart Konrad Zuse’s
    computer patent, just in time, as the patent (first applied for on 16th
    June 1941), was about to be granted. This narrative is then followed by
    analyses of, and discovery of proof of, the role of IBM in preventing
    Zuse from getting what would have been the premier patent on the
    concept of a programmable computer, and then by an exploration of how
    information about Ludgate’s 1909 paper was found by (or for) the
    opposing German patent attorney."

    The accepted paper is available online at:
    <https://www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk131.html>

    <
    https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk131.html__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-A0ySd2RE$
    <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk131.html__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-A0ySd2RE$> 
    >

    In addition, English translations of all the relevant Zuse patent
    litigation documents are provided onlne (side-by-side with
    transcriptions of the German originals from the ZIB.de <
    https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://ZIB.de__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-AVjGhNW8$
    <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/ZIB.de__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-AVjGhNW8$> 
    > Zuse Archive file as interleaved PDF documents), together with a
    large number of other supporting documents, at:
    <https://www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk610.html>

    <
    https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk610.html__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-A1AL-4cc$
    <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.scss.tcd.ie/SCSSTreasuresCatalog/ludgate/lnk610.html__;!!DLa72PTfQgg!Jhyad10DYlVOoIhqVZZA5iRZs8-2WgSHhPRrg1EetT9B2y2laW9tf_CxITrpdvuWUY91MVTBQ2-A1AL-4cc$> 
    >

    Quoting from our paper's Concluding Remarks:

    "The very fact that Ludgate’s 1909 paper on his Analytical Machine was
    employed to thwart Zuse’s attempt to patent the computer refutes the
    prevalent assumption that Ludgate had no influence on modern computing,
    and that his work is just of historical interest. Whatever the scale of
    their influence, patents can impact the commercial activities in the
    sector they apply to. Hence Ludgate’s paper clearly did have a
    potential influence on the commercial future of computers, even if his
    work was unknown to the developers of the early electronic computers.
    However, we have deliberately avoided speculating on the types or the
    extent of the possible commercial consequences, either to Zuse’s
    company, or to the rest of the computer industry, of the thwarting of
    Zuse’s attempts to obtain what would have been the first patent on a
    programmable computer."

    We would however be interested to receive informed comments on this
    issue, and also suggestions as to any further avenues we might pursue
    in attempting to identify exactly how information on Ludgate's work
    reached the opposing patent attorney.

    Cheers

    Brian Randell

    —

    School of Computing, Newcastle University, 1 Science Square, Newcastle
    upon Tyne, NE4 5TG

    EMAIL = Brian.Randell at ncl.ac.uk <mailto:Brian.Randell at ncl.ac.uk> 
    <mailto:Brian.Randell at ncl.ac.uk <mailto:Brian.Randell at ncl.ac.uk> >
    PHONE = +44 191 208 7923

    URL = https://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/staff/profile/brianrandell.html
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