Global Dimensions of Intellectual Property Rights in Science and Technology (1993) / Chapter Skim
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15 Optoelectronics
15 Optoelectronics
Pages 339-350
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From page 339... ...
The extreme importance to the United States of a revitalized manufacturing capability makes reexamination of the legal and practical aspects of protecting {PRS desirable. This chapter differs from most of the others in two important aspects: First, it presents the view of an engineering practitioner rather than a legal strategist.
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From page 340... ...
, and in 1970 the first miniature color video cameras based on CCDS, were invented and developed at Bell Labs. The CCD has become the sensing element basis for most fax machines, the Camcorder, and many important military applications used in the recent Gulf War.
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From page 341... ...
Electronics implies photon energies associated with microwaves, radio frequency, low frequency, and ultimately direct current with vanishingly small photon energy. Optoelectronics implies that the photons involved in the interaction have energy associated with infrared, visible, or ultraviolet radiation.
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From page 342... ...
The law provides substantial protection for companies holding proprietary information. Companies can approach other companies that they believe may be using their proprietary information unlawfully, and request discussions and development of means to give them reassurance that their information is protected.
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From page 343... ...
Litigation is expensive, distracting, and time-consuming, and the results are not predictable. Large companies are not anxious to use legal protection, but it poses no major downside risk unless the company engages in demonstrably illegal behavior in the name of protecting its proprietary information.
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From page 344... ...
The courts have a difficult time with these issues, but they manage. In some cases, however, the first company merely charges "inevitable use of their proprietary information" by virtue of the close association of the individuals involved with that proprietary information and the associated technology.
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From page 345... ...
In early 1983 the eventual founder of a semiconductor laser company announced his intention to take early retirement from AT&T Bell Labs after 26 years of service, in turn, as a member of technical staff, supervisor, department head, and finally laboratory director. During his last four years he had led a laboratory developing and introducing into manufacture devices for use in fiber-optic communication systems.
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From page 346... ...
It consisted of two newly resigned employees of AT&T Bell Labs and three former employees, none recently employed by AT&T, one of whom had never worked on SEDS. LYTEL was confident that it had done nothing that could antagonize AT&T.
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From page 347... ...
In addition, LYTEL had to agree not to solicit any AT&T employees during the period of arbitration and could hire only if it were directly approached. Two years of intense effort, and a half million dollars of LYTEL'S initial capital expended in legal fees, resulted in a finding of no overlap.
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From page 348... ...
The ultraviolet lasers, which represented an important market, required extremely high current to operate, so the metal disk technology was a good solution. Among the other expert witnesses supporting the Spectra Physics effort were former colleagues from Bell Labs and Hughes Aircraft Company, all of whom had worked on the argon ion laser following its discovery in early 1964.
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From page 349... ...
Spectra Physics reinstated its program and eventually marketed a new laser family based on the metal disk technology. In the meantime, Coherent Radiation developed an almost identical technology and applied for a patent that later issued.
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From page 350... ...
Almost all of the key products and devices, however including displays, imaging devices, copiers, printers, facsimile terminals, lasers for communications, audio compact discs, optical memories, product scanners for point of sales terminals, and devices for many military applications are made mainly overseas. It will not be easy to turn this situation around unless investment in R&D and manufacturing in electronics, particularly optoelectronics, is increased.
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