Intellectual Property Law

Why was the answering machine suppressed for 45 years?

By wu

Bell’s engineers had an answering machine invented by 1935.   However it wasn’t until 1980 or so that answering machines became widely available - why?

Interestingly, according to a great paper by Mark Clark that I came across recentlt, internal memos show that Bell was afraid that if there existed recording devices, people would stop using telephones.

Quoting from my book:

Internal memoranda show AT&T certain that recording devices, if widespread, ?would greatly reduce the use of the telephone.?   The idea was that the potential of a record of a conversation would make people unwilling to use the phone ? either for fear the record would be used to contradict contracts, or because people would want to speak about illegal or immoral matters.     The mere technical possibility of recording conversations would ?change the whole nature of telephone conversations,? and ?render the telephone much less satisfactory and useful in the vast majority of cases in which it is employed.?

The lesson from this is that it isn’t always textbook reasons that are offered for suppressing products - but sometimes just pure wierdness.

Full post as published by What’s New With Wu on July 04, 2008 (boomark / email).