Abstract
Very soon after their production was started, Komatsu Diamond Co. recieved, in June 1963, a letter from GE warning of possible infringement on their registered patent rights. This was the kickoff of a years long series of law suits between the two parties. Upon the registration of their “belt” apparatus patent in 1964, GE lodged, unsuccessfully, an application for a provisional court order to prohibit Komatsu's use of the brand-new apparatuses. The definitive proceedings began in late 1965, and legal inspectors came to the plant for the first time in 1966. The point of dispute was based on the difference in interpretation of the function of, particularly, the die lined with the ceramic sleeve.
