Poul, Jonathan, and Caroline readied themselves for the arrival of the unexpected visitor from New York. Amelia left the office to make some tea for the guest.
The horse-drawn carriage carrying James Russell and Sam Insull pulled up in front of the office. They stepped off the carriage and hurriedly entered the office without even asking for permission.
They glided across the living room with heavy footsteps and into the office room, where Poul, Jonathan, and Caroline sat, waiting for them to arrive.
"Good morning, Mr. Russell, and Mr. Insull, we are not expecting both of you to come into our office. Normally, you would need an appointment but seeing that the matter looked urgent, we will overlook it," Poul. "So gentleman, what is the purpose of your sudden visit?"
Russell looked at his personal secretary, Insull, and signaled him with a nod. Sam acknowledged the order and pulled out a newspaper from inside his suit. Then, he threw it on Poul's desk, as if emphasizing something.
"Have you seen this?!" Insull demanded, pointing at the article on the front page. "You opened an electric company business with my light bulbs? Are you serious?!" Russell began.
Jonathan and Caroline exchanged a look of confusion. Poul raised an eyebrow as he picked up the newspaper and read the article. His eyes widened in surprise as he scanned through the contents.
He put the newspaper down and looked at Russell and Insull with a calm expression. "Yes, we did," he replied firmly. "But it is not your light bulb that we used. It is a light bulb that is different from yours."
"Even still, you stole from me. How dare you backstab me?! After all the agreement we have made, for licensing me your patents for the direct current electric motor, and now this? This I cannot forgive!"
Poul spoke up, his voice measured but firm, as he tried to quell the rising tension in the room.
"Mr. Russell, your accusation is unwarranted. We did not steal anything from you. We have our own patents, and we have developed our own electric bulbs. While there may be similarities in how we light them up, the designs of our light bulbs are entirely different from yours. I understand your frustration, but I will not tolerate baseless allegations."
"I will sue you for infringement," Russell declared, his voice
"Your threat of legal action is misguided, Mr. Russell. We have done nothing wrong, and our business practices are sound," Poul said calmly, maintaining his composure. "If you choose to pursue this matter, we will defend ourselves vigorously in court."
Russell's face flushed with anger as he glared at Poul. "You will regret this," he seethed, before turning on his heel and storming out of the office, with Insull following closely behind.
Jonathan and Caroline watched them leave in silence, both feeling uneasy about the encounter. Poul let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, that was unexpected," he said, breaking the silence. "I didn't think Russell would react so strongly to our business endeavors."
Caroline spoke up, concern etched on her face. "Do you think he will follow through with his threat of a lawsuit?"
Poul nodded his head. "With those expressions, I think he will. But if it comes to that, we can only act accordingly. He is suing us for using his light bulbs?"
"The tea is here!" Amelia entered the office but noticed that the unexpected visitors were already gone. "Was I too late? What happened Mr. Nielsen?"
"Well…Ms. Weiss, James Russell came to our establishment to announce that he is going to sue us for infringing his light bulb."
Amelia let out a soft gasp. "But I thought you said that the light bulb you build is different from Russell. If that was the case then how come he is suing us?"
"I think I know where the problem lies," Caroline interjected. "He is not suing you because of your light bulb design but because of the bulb itself. The incandescent."
"Wait?" Jonathan scoffed. "Isn't just saying that they invented the incandescent? That's foolish, the technology has been studied for decades."
"You're right, Jonathan," Poul agreed. "Incandescent technology has been around for a long time, and many inventors from the past have contributed to its development. Russell cannot lay claim to the entire concept. However, he may feel threatened by our prospect and the competition we bring to the market."
Caroline added, "Russell's company has dominated the electric lighting industry for years. Our new venture might be seen as a direct challenge to his dominance, and he's likely worried about losing his grip on the market."
Poul nodded thoughtfully. "We must be prepared to defend our business and our innovations in court if necessary. I have confidence in our patents and our technology, and I believe we can successfully challenge Russell's claims."
Amelia, still holding the tray of tea, looked worried. "What can we do to help, Mr. Nielsen?"
"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Weiss," Poul replied. "For now, I'd like you to continue your regular duties. We will keep you updated on any developments in this matter. As for the rest of us, we must continue to focus on our work and strive to make our electric company successful. Oh, just in case, please contact George Harding."
"The lawyer that we hired years ago?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes, him," Poul confirmed. "He specializes in infringement cases and we have to get him to our side before Russell does."
"Understood."
In the following weeks, Poul and Jonathan worked as if nothing happened. Undeterred by the looming threat of a lawsuit from Russell. They looked for potential clients who are interested in their alternating current system.
Fortunately, the industrialist duo managed to hire George Harding as their lawyer for their case, and are discussing it with them.
"Russell has filed a lawsuit against your company for infringing your patent. The New York Court has accepted the case and we're expected to appear in court within a few months," George informed Poul and Jonathan, his expression serious. "We'll need to gather all the documentation related to your patents, your light bulb designs, and any evidence demonstrating the uniqueness of your technology," George said.
"So it is really becoming a reality huh?" Poul huffed.
"Well, let's see where this will lead us," Jonathan added.
