AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS.

COMPANY AND GOVERNMENT PROPOSES NEW AGREEMENT. THE ROYAL COMMISSION. ROYALTIES ? N NEW ZEALAND. [FROM our own correspondent.) SYDNEY, Nov. 25. For months ono of the Federal Government's numerous Royal Commissions inquired into the wireless industry, and made some drastic recommendations in a report which was considered so important that one Sydney newspaper printed it. in full, taking up more than one of its pages to do so. It now seems that the commission's vast labour waa in vain. According to one of the highest authorities on wireless in this country, the Federal Government, in its proposals for the future Control of wireless in Australia, rejects most of the recommendations. Details of the proposals were announced recently in the House of Representatives by the Prime Minister. Mr. Bruce said that it was considered that reversion to post office control of wireless would be a fatal blunder. It waa intended to renew the Commonwealth agreement with Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., with certain reservations, for five years, under conditions which would strengthen the Ministry's position and would enable the Commonwealth to -fix the rates to be charged for commercial wireless traffic. Under the revised agreement the company would undertake to make available for the free use of wireless traders, broadcasting companies, and listeners and the Commonwealth all patent rights under its control. Concessions to bo made by the company in regard to royalties would amount to £126,000. i , • 1 Possible Developments. Not many points in the proposed agree- i ment are of interest to New Zealand, but indirectly the Dominion will be interested to learn that, according to Mr. Bruce, the agreement will provide a great step toward making Australia the wireless centre of the Southern Pacific. This statement followed an announcement that by agreement with the British Ministry the company will reorganise the Fijian service, which will be linked with Australia. "Judged by the progress of the last ten years," said Mr. Bruce, "it should be possible in the near future to establish wireless i communication with all the principal centres of civilisation in the world. Under the new agreement, the company is entitled, subject to certain reservations and provisions, to establish and operate commercial services between Australia and other countries." Does this presage, New Zealand might well ask, a wireless service between Australia and the Dominion? Eights to Patents. One announcement made by the Prime Minister is of vital interest to New Zealand. During his explanation concerning the agreement in relation to the company's patent right and royalties, Mr. Bruce said that the agreement provides that to establish its rights to the patents, the company will prosecute to judgment, as expeditiously as possible actions already instituted by it in Australia for infringem&nt of patent rights. If the company did not obtain judgment in Australia within twelve months, it will institute proceedings for infringement in New Zealand. If the company failed ia its legal actions the agreement would be terminated, as the agreement was dependent on the company establishing its rights to patents. Position in Hew Zealand. Commenting on this portion or the agreement, a high authority on wireless matters said: "An important aspect of the agreement is that the Government assumes that the company has valid titles to the patents upon which it collects royaltios. Litigation was begun some time ago in Sydney and Melbourne against people who refused to pay royalties and who challenge! the validity of the patents. If the company takes proceedings against broadcasters and dealers in New Zealand, it will find itself fighting the New Zealand Government, for whom, under its Wireless Act, all broadcasting companies and dealers are agents."