PATTERSON V. THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED

.12280/45

WB, Daw, Gor. Print, Meth.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

__PATTERSON

THE GENBRAL ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITzAD

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

JUDGMENT (ORAL)

PATTERSON

THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED

DIXON Jy WEBB J.

KITTO J.

ae

PATTERSON Ve HE G! AL _EL} C_COMPANY LIMITED JUDGMENT (ORAL) DIXON J.

This is an appeal brought in pursuance. of sec. 58 of the Patents Act from a decision of the Deputy Commissioner of Patents dismissing an opposition. The opposition under sec. 56 of the Patents Act was placed upon the grounds which appear in paragraphs (c), (e) and (f) of the section, The patent opposed was an invention patent which when granted took effect as from 1st Noyember 1938. It was a patent obtained by the General Electric Company Limited, which is the respondent in this appeal. 'The invention which is protected by the patent relates to an arrangement of reflectors for the purpose of diffusing electric light and giving an indirect lighting effect together with a direct light. It is described as an invention for improvements in and relating to lighting fittings. The sub- stance of the arrangement is to suspend from an electric light attachment into which the bulb itself fits a pear or cone-shaped reflector, the upper part of which is so treated as to diffuse the light and the lower part of which is clear. The bulb fits inside this pear or cone shaped reflector. The lower end of it has a lip. Another member of the arrangement consists in what is called a bowl, which is a bowl-shaped reflector which also is etched, as it is said, to provide a satin finish or other finish according to the diffusion required. That bowl has a circular aperture at the bottom and it fits over the first reflector pefore the reflector is attached to the electric lighting attach- ment and is held by the lip so that it is capable of reflecting upwards, The upper edge of the bowl has the same horizontal position as the upper edge of the clear part of the first member,