uxirno s·i·.».ri~;s v. Amamoax e1·;r.r, ran,:-zrnoxi-1 co. 19
which the government grants to the patentee the exclusive privilege,
for a limited period, to make, vend, and use the invention through-.
out the United States, with the right to invoke the aid of its courts
for the protection and enforcement of these rights or franchises, the `
complainants seek, by their bill in this case, to have certain letters
patent, numbered 174,465 and 186,787, embodying the electric speak-
ing telephone, issued to Alexander Graham Bell, March 7, 1876, and
January 30, 1877, respectively, declared void, set aside, and annulled,
on the ground that they were fraudulently, surreptitiously, and im-
properly obtained on the part of said Bell, by means of alleged false `
statements, on which the government relied, and on the faith of 1
which it was induced to issue said patents. In the event said letters
patent should not be declared wholly invalid and void, because of the
alleged fraud of said Bell in procuring their issuance, the bill further
seeks to have said letters patent treated as contracts, "ref0rm<-nd, and
modified, as in law and equity and good conscience they ought to be,"
for the reason that, by inadvertence, accident, and mistake, they em-
brace more than said Bell was entitled to claim, etc. Alexander
Graham Bell, who is averred to be a resident of the District` of Co-
lumbia, is made a party defendant; but having neither appeared, nor
been served with process, he is not before the court.
It is alleged in the bill that prior to the institution of this suit said
Alexander Graham Bell had divested himself of all right, title, and
interest in the said letters patent, which, together with the grants
therein contained, he had transferred to the American Bell Telephone
Company, a corporation chartered and duly organized by and under
the laws of the state of Massachusetts. The American Bell Tele-
phone Company, as the owner of said letters patent, together with
several corporations chartered by the laws of Illinois, Pennsylvania,
and Ohio, designated in the pleadings as the “local or licensee" com-
panies, "associates," “copartners," "representativcs," and "agents"
of the American Bell Telephone Company, are made defendants.
There has been no service upon or appearance by the Illinois or
Pennsylvania companies. The "local or licensee" corporations of
Ohio are before the court by regular service of process and appear-
ance. The averments of the bill touching the jurisdiction of the
court-over the several defendants are as follows:
"Your orator further shows that the said defendants, the American Bell
Telephone Company, duly incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts; and
the Central Union Telephone & Telegraph Company, a corporation duly
chartered under the laws of Illinois; and the Erie Telephone & Telegraph
Company, incorporated under the laws of the state of Massachusetts; and
the Central District & Printing Telegraph Company, incorporated under the
laws of the state of Pennsylvania; and the Cleveland Telephone Company,
the City &’ Suburban Telegraph Company, the Miami Telephone Company, V
. and the Buckeye Telephone Company, the latter four incorporated under the
laws of Ohio; and the defendant—,Alexander Graham Bell,—all of whom are
made defendants to this bill,—are-present, and are found and have property
within the jurisdiction of this court, and are now engaged in carrying on
the business of telephony, and maintaining a close monopoly thereof, in the·