Stereobelt
The Stereobelt is a device similar to the Walkman .
It was developed in 1977 by the German-Brazilian Andreas Pavel and a patent was applied for first in Italy and later in other European countries . An initially planned self-marketing was never realized. The first Walkman, the Sony TPS-L2 , was launched by Sony in 1979.
Unlike the Walkman, Pavels' invention, registered under the title "Belt with Devices for Listening to Reproduced Music", consisted of various components to be worn on a belt around the body. However, other sources provide different information about the title of Pavel's patent: The magazine “Wissen” (12/2006) of the Süddeutsche Zeitung speaks of a “small body-bound system for the high-quality reproduction of audio events”. However, the following patents are stored in the database of the German Patent and Trademark Office : Battery-operated, electro-acoustic miniaturized arrangement for high-quality stereophonic reproduction of audio events (DE 2858302 C2) and electroacoustic system for high-quality reproduction of audio events (DE 2813000 C3).
After a long and unsuccessful legal battle in which Pavel invested almost all of his assets, an out-of-court settlement with the Sony group was reached in 2003. Various media outlets, including the New York Times, reported an eight-figure severance payment. This was probably only possible after the death of long-time Sony boss Akio Morita , who had always portrayed himself as the inventor of the Walkman.
Web links
- The daily newspaper - the idea remains, the Walkman works
- In the trap. A German inventor argues with Sony about the invention of the Walkman. Now he is threatened with financial ruin . In: Der Spiegel . No. 22 , 1993, pp. 124-128 ( Online - May 31, 1993 ).
- Photo and information about the stereo belt
- Patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Individual evidence
- ↑ SZ Wissen 12/2006, p. 39
- ↑ Super User: The Walkman - the whole story. In: heureka-stories.de. January 26, 2018, accessed January 15, 2020 .
- ↑ Sony settles Walkman patent dispute with German inventor , heise online, May 28, 2004
- ^ A small device that became a big icon , Aachener Nachrichten, March 3, 2010