ANS in pencil signed “E,” on the first page of a two-page TLS from his employee William A. Hardy, 8.5 x 11, October 31, 1922. Hardy’s letter reads, in part: “Referring to your inquiry concerning Patent No. 1,425,281 [“Phonograph Record,” granted to Donald B. Porter on August 8, 1922]…. I fail to see any material difference between the disclosure in this patent and the numerous Edison disc records put out long prior to Porter’s filing date, having more than one selection recorded on a single surface and in which the recordings of such selections are connected by a uniform groove having no sound undulations. The fact that such records were on the market must have been unknown to the Examiner who passed this patent to issue, and he probably allowed the claims contained therein because he was unable to find any patent in the prior art disclosing such a record…. In my opinion, no invention is involved in this idea, and I doubt if a court would uphold any of the claims of the Porter patent….” Edison responds at the top of the first page: “Hardy—I will make no answer to this man. Therefore file this in your dept.” Filing holes near but not touching Edison’s writing, and a few staples holes and tiny tears, otherwise fine condition. R&R COA.
