The major technical goal the competing phonograph
companies was extension record playing time. Edison was not above
instructing the laboratory staff copy the successful
engineering the opposition. Industrial espionage was common
in both motion picture and phonograph industries, and was
said that each company mantained spies the enemy's camp. 1910 they
were worth over million dollars sales the Edison
enterprise. The
West Orange laboratory was now security zone the Edison
complex, with secret projects going behind locked doors. Each side carefully examined the opposition's
machines try gain the advantage. The "best lab ever" was now pitted against the
engineering departments companies like Columbia and
Biograph— small, aggressive and highly innovative.
The technological battle was fought with both fair means
and foul. depended the profits from two rapidly growing
businesses, but unfortunately the phonograph and motion picture
industries were volatile and highly competitive. The continual technological development of
phonographs and motion pictures placed premium the work of
the laboratory which had counter the innovations the
competition. The
competition was gradually increasing the playing time of
.VIII-30
THE COMPETITIVE STRUGGLE
TAE Inc
