IN NATURAL COLOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 137, 14 June 1927, Page 10

IN NATURAL COLOURS

SEQUEL TO AN INVENTION

An action arising out'of an invention for coloured photography came before his Honour the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court to-day.

Hie plaintiffs, Frank Broomfielcl, civil engineer, and four others, claimed that the defendants, Edward Nicol Sutherland, merchant, nnd three others, were trustees for a process invented by William Reid, for the purpose of reproducing the natural colours of objects in cinematography, and as trustees had received £15,820 for the purpose of exploiting the indention. It was alleged that while acting as. trustees the defendants had failed to file a cpmpleto patent speciiication; had soKl shares; had charged brokerage and remitted moneys to the inventor and another, F. W. Mdthcs, after they know the venture had failed; and had other. wise failed to exercise proper diligent? ■as trustees. The plaintiffs therefore claimed to have the trust administered by the Court., The defence filed stated that the patents' protection for the -process was allowed to lapse in New Zealand on the joint advice of the patent agciits and the solicitors, for the reason that now protections were being taken out m England. They said that no interests had been sold or brokerage charged on the sale of shares for fully six months before the date of the alleged failure of the invention; and that all other transactions had been carried out and recorded in a reasonably practical manner. Thg defendants further claimed that they wanted to wind up the affairs of the trust at the wish of most of the interest holders, in order to facilitate the formation of l a limited liability company of the beneficiaries who desired to proceed with the venture. • The defendants further claimed that there were only a few minor matters remaining to be concluded in connection with the trust, and that the taking of accounts by the Court would entail considerable expense and delay which the mt ; jority of -the interest holders we're anxious to avoid. Mr. \V. Perry appeared for ti;a plaintiffs,' and Mr. O. C. Mazenguib for the defendants. The Court was engaged to-day with, the opening of the plaintiffs' case. '■- '"