Bill,

Owens was not the only company to restrict licences to their bottle blowing
machines.  Hartford-Empire, Owens Bottle Company, Ball Brothers, Corning
Glass and others entered into a patent pool that restricted who had access
to the machines and thus an ability to make bottles.  In 1945 this group
was taken to the Supreme Court in a case called Hartford-Empire versus the
United States.  That case named 12 glass companies and 101 individuals on
anti-trust violation for the abuse of their patents through the
restrictions imposed by their patent pool.  A summary of the case can be
found at www.ripon.edu/Faculty/bowenj/antitrust/hart-emp.htm.

Peace,
George L. Miller
URS Corporation
561 Cedar Lane
Florence, New Jersey 08518