The story of the Eastman Kodak company involves also a black spot in 1914. On March 10, 1914, company Ansco was awarded $5 million damages from Eastman Kodak for infringing US 610,861 directed to a photographic pellicle and process of producing same.
Mr. Hannibal Goodwin invented the protected method for making transparent, flexible roll film out of nitrocellulose film base, but the filed patent was only granted on September 13, 1898. In the meantime, George Eastman had already started production of roll-film using his own process.
After Goodwin's company "Goodwin Film and Camera Company" sold his patent to Ansco, the latter successfully sued Eastman Kodak. Read the details here.
Much more could be told about the history of photography and related IP, but this blog is about lyrics, So, let's turn to lyrics:
Shanghai-based band Hogshocker released their album "2222" on 2/2/2022 at 22:22:22 (Shanghai time obviously). The album is a homage to a number of known and unknown poets, artists and scientists, including Mr. Hannibal Goodwin. The lyrics of the track "Hannibal Goodwin Episcopal Priest" tell his patent story in a pretty concise way:
Hannibal Goodwin, Episcopal priest Who patented a method for making film, at least, The kind that you find in Edison's Kinetoscope Flexible projectable it really was the dope Flexible transparent film roll, that was cool! Nitro cellulose base, he knew what to do, so true Cut a 6 foot hole right through his roof, it's the truth To let sunlight in and develop his proofs Hannibal Williston Goodwin, should win A prize for the eyes of the footloose footmen Who'd watch through the books of a God long dead, man Died from pneumonia and a broken leg, man His patent won 5 million bucks from Eastman That's the man who set up Kodak film in the East land His patent won 5 million bucks from Eastman Unfortunately, 14 years after he deceased, man
Yeah, finally a good story about patent protection!
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