United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Waxham v. Smith, 294 U.S. 20 (1935)

Waxham v. Smith

No. 208

Argued December 4, 1934

Decided January 7, 1935

294 U.S. 20

Syllabus

1. Claim 1 of Patent No. 1,262,860, to Smith for a method of incubating eggs, held valid and infringed. See Smith v. Snow, ante p. 294 U. S. 1. P. 294 U. S. 21.

2. The claim is for a method or process, and not for a machine or the function of a machine. P. 294 U. S. 21.

3. A method, otherwise patentable, is not to be rejected as "functional" merely because the specifications show a machine capable of using it. P. 294 U. S. 22.

4. Infringement of the Smith method is not avoided by use of it, whether more or less efficiently, in an incubator of different structure than Smith's. P. 294 U. S. 23.

70 F.2d 457, affirmed.

Page 294 U. S. 21

Certiorari to review a judgment affirming a judgment of the District Court holding a patent valid and infringed.