Re: TESLA'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO RADIO/WIRELESS? (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:19:33 -0700
From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: TESLA'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO RADIO/WIRELESS? (fwd)

Hi Bart,

I agree with your perspective on this and if I recall correctly,
the final decision of the US Supreme Court on this issue was that
Tesla indeed did invent radio, even though Tesla probably did 
not realize the commercial potential of it when he first demon-
strated his twin tuned circuits in his1891? lecture. Unfortunately, 
Tesla did not live long enough to see his counter claim vendicated 
by the Supreme Court. Tesla died in early January, 1943 and the
Supreme's Court's verdict was not rendered until June, 1943, I
believe. I'm not 100% sure on the date of the verdict but I'm sure
someone will correct me if I'm wrong ;^)

David Rieb

David:

	If you will send me your email address I can mail you a text file copy of the court's findings if you want to refresh your memory.  When you read it you will see that they DID NOT make any such ruling - the invention of radio/wireless communication per se wasn't even the subject under litigation.  What they DID find was that Tesla's tuned circuit patents anticipated Marconi's [obvious to anyone from inspection of the patents and their dates] and that Marconi's patents were invalid.  (The Tesla patents weren't the only subject covered.)  Nothing about radio there - just possible tuning methods which Marconi started using only after his initial succeful work.  He needed them to improve selectivity and reject possible interference, not to make the system work.

Ed