Walter L. Shaw [b. December 20, 1917 | d. July 21, 1996] is an American inventor of 20th century telephone devices and a developer of telecommunications technologies embedded in nearly every phone used today. Shaw was a self-taught engineer and the architect of 39 US Patents during his life. He was noted for saying; "if I can draw it, I can build it".

In 1935 at age 18, the young prodigy went to work for AT&T where he produced his first US Patent in 1951 for Bell Labs. At that time, AT&T was the world's largest corporation and operated the US telephone network as a regulated monopoly.

Shaw's telephone inventions include; call-forwarding, push-button (DTMF) dialing, voice activation, and the Red Phone - the Whitehouse to Kremlin hot-line installed during the Cold War. His achievements are cataloged in 39 US Patents.


Bell Labs from 1935

DRAFT MATERIAL

In the 1970s, Mr. Shaw sought due recognition for his work and the right to pursue inventions produced on his own time. The monopoly squelched his ambitions by taking the legal position that they owned everything he conceived and built. He was prosecuted by his former employer AT&T and incarcerated for possessing a tone generator, a testing device used by telecom engineers to practice their craft. Ironically, Mr. Shaw invented the technology used in the tone generator test instrument.

Consequently, License to Steal, illuminates the story of how the greedy monopoly destroyed the Shaw family throughout years of prosecution and incarceration and how the love between a father and son ultimately prevailed.

Mr. Shaw amassed many important telephone inventions including call-forwarding, push-button dialing, voice activation and the Red Phone - the Whitehouse to Kremlin hot-line installed during the Cold War. His achievements are cataloged in 39 US Patents. [catalog Patent references]

Genius on Hold, contrasts the Shaw and Ottensmeyer family’s similar experiences with AT&T and unleashes the historical record for the viewer to derive their own conclusions. Genius on Hold debuted its premiere showing at De Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival in April 2011 and in May 2011 at Cann, France, for the European market.


References; 1) Film http://www.aLicenseToSteal.com 2) http://www.aGeniusOnHold.com . new article content ...


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