Cottier v. Stimson

This is an action “on the case,” brought by the plaintiffs under section 4919 of the Devised Statutes, to recover damages from the defendants for the infringement of a patent for an improved method of ventilating water closets, numbered 171,926. The defendants plead the general issue — “not guilty” — and give notice of the special matters which they expect to prove thereunder on the trial, as provided in section 4920 of the Devised Statutes, as follows: That said invention was not novel when produced by the patentee, and ho is not the original inventor thereof, for that a like apparatus was…