Research Proposal on "Was Glenn Curtiss Guilty of Infringement on the Wright Brothers Patents?"

Research Proposal 3 pages (1028 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

healthcare in New Hampshire. Specifically it will discuss whether Glenn Curtiss was guilty of infringement on the Wright Brothers' patents. Glenn Curtiss is one of the forgotten pioneers of American aviation. He actually invented what is now known as the "flying boat," and pioneered naval aviation. Known as the "Father of Navy Aviation," he also invented airplanes and aviation technologies, and was engaged in a legendary battle with the Wright Brothers over patent infringement accusations.

The Wright Brothers, as just about everyone knows, were the first to successfully fly an airplane at Kitty Hawk in 1903. By 1906, they had received a patent for their airplane, to protect their design. The Centennial of Flight Web site notes, "The Wright brothers were granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office in 1906 for a flying machine. This patent was based on the application they had submitted in 1903 that had included a detailed description and drawings of their control system as applied to a glider" (Editors, 2009). Of course, there was interest by other inventors in aviation, and one of those innovators was Glenn Curtiss, who was one of the first members of the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) in the country. Alexander Graham Bell, who the Wrights respected, actually funded the group and members of the AEA actually wrote to the Wrights for information on airplane building, and the Wrights answered, even referring to their patent (Editors, 2009). However, they became increasingly obsessed with their patent and patent infringement, and Curtiss was just one of many aviation innovators they sued. Another historian notes, "To them, almost everyone in aviation was a potential patent infringer. Their patent indeed was broad; it embraced every successful system of flight control. Anyone who wanted to use such a system was welcome to do so, provided that he purchased a license from the Wrights and paid the pertinent fees and royalties" (Heppenheimer, 2003, p. 322). The litigation between the Wrights and Curtiss continued several years and resulted in several decisions and appeals.

The history of the litigation is long and somewhat convoluted. In 1910, the Wrights first filed their accusations with the court, and a judge issued an injunction against Curtiss. Curtiss posted a bond of $10,000, and the injunction was removed, but the patent infringement case still stood. However, Curtiss could continue to build airplanes while the suit made its' way through the courts (Heppenheimer, 2003, p. 313). In February 1913, the judge vindicated the Wrights, "Holding that their patent indeed was broad enough to apply to Curtiss's ailerons, Hazel handed down a permanent injunction barring Curtiss from building, selling, or publicly flying his airplanes" (Heppenheimer, 2003, p. 324). Curtiss appealed, and the judge stayed the injunction, so Curtiss continued to build his planes (Heppenheimer, 2003, p. 324). After eleven months, the appellate court upheld the prior decision, but Curtiss saw an ambiguity in the ruling. Historian Heppenheimer continues, "The injunction only covered aircraft that moved their ailerons simultaneously in opposite directions. He introduced a system that moved only one aileron at a time, leaving the other… READ MORE

How to Reference "Was Glenn Curtiss Guilty of Infringement on the Wright Brothers Patents?" Research Proposal in a Bibliography

Related Research Proposals:

Wright Brothers Term Paper

Wright Brothers

Life is full of challenges and opportunities. While we enjoy the fruits of inventions, we rarely see what goes on during the invention process. Countless hurdles are overcome… read more

Term Paper 7 pages (2042 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA Topic: Transportation / Mass Transit

---

Wright Brothers Thesis

Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with the invention of the airplane. The official citation for this credit reads; "the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight." Every… read more

Thesis 5 pages (1785 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Transportation / Mass Transit

---

Is the United States Patent System in Good Operating Condition What Are the Criticisms? Essay

Patent System

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor or his assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for a… read more

Essay 2 pages (694 words) Sources: 2 Style: APA Topic: Copyright / Trademark / Patent

---

Patents Bayer Must Make Its Decision Essay

Patents

Bayer must make its decision on an appropriate course of action in context of two key variables -- shareholder interests and corporate ethics. Bayer's indecision was the worst of… read more

Essay 3 pages (1021 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Copyright / Trademark / Patent

---

Glenn Ligon Term Paper

Glenn Ligon

Malcom X (Moran, N.d.)

Glenn Ligon is a conceptual artist that has produced many works on a range of different subjects. He is a contemporary artist that was… read more

Term Paper 1 pages (342 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Art / Painting / Sculpture

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>