https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel Phoebus cartel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Cartel to control the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs Phoebus cartel Formation 15 January 1925 Type Cartel The Phoebus cartel existed to control the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs. They appropriated market territories and fixed the useful life of such bulbs.^[1] Corporations based in Europe and America founded the cartel on January 15, 1925 in Geneva.^[2] Phoebus based itself in Switzerland. The corporation named itself Phoebus S.A. Compagnie Industrielle pour le Developpement de l'Eclairage (French for "Phoebus, Inc. Industrial Company for the Development of Lighting"). They had intended the cartel to last for thirty years (1925 to 1955). The cartel ceased operations in 1939 owing to the outbreak of World War II. The cartel included manufacturers Osram, General Electric, Associated Electrical Industries, and Philips,^[3] among others. [ ] Contents * 1 History * 2 Purpose * 3 See also * 4 References * 5 Further reading * 6 External links History[edit] Osram, Philips, Tungsram, Associated Electrical Industries, ELIN [de] , Compagnie des Lampes, International General Electric, and the GE Overseas Group created and joined the Phoebus cartel,^[4] holding shares in the Swiss corporation proportional to their lamp sales. Osram founded a precursor organisation in 1921, the Internationale Gluhlampen Preisvereinigung. When Philips and other manufacturers entered the American market, General Electric reacted by setting up the "International General Electric Company" in Paris. Both organisations co-ordinated the trading of patents and market penetration. Increasing international competition led to negotiations between all the major companies to control and restrict their respective activities in order not to interfere in each other's spheres.^[5]^[6] In the late 1920s, a Swedish-Danish-Norwegian union of consumer cooperatives formed the North European Luma Co-op Society as an independent manufacturing center. Economic and legal threats by Phoebus did not achieve the desired effect, and in 1931 the Scandinavians produced and sold lamps at a considerably lower price than Phoebus.^[7] The Phoebus cartel was intended to be dissolved in 1955^[6] but World War II greatly disrupted its operation. Purpose[edit] The Phoebus cartel divided the world's lamp markets into three categories: * Home territories, the home country of individual manufacturers^[ citation needed] * British overseas territories, under control of Associated Electrical Industries, Osram, Philips, and Tungsram^[citation needed] * Common territory, the rest of the world^[citation needed] The cartel lowered operational costs and worked to standardize the life expectancy of light bulbs at 1,000 hours^[6] (down from 2,500 hours),^[6] and raised prices without fear of competition. The cartel tested their bulbs and fined manufacturers for bulbs that lasted more than 1,000 hours. A 1929 table listed the amount of Swiss francs paid that depended on the exceeding hours of lifetime.^[8] Some engineers deemed 1,000 hours a reasonable figure to balance the various operational aspects of an incandescent bulb, since longer lifespan means reduced efficacy (lumens per watt): a longer-life bulb of a given wattage puts out less light (and therefore proportionaly more heat) than a shorter-life bulb of the same wattage.^[9] Nevertheless, long-life incandescent bulbs were and are available with lifespan ratings up to 2,500 hours,^[citation needed] and these do in fact produce less light per watt.^[10] In 1951, Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission in the United Kingdom issued a report to Parliament and noted that: "As regards life standards, before the Phoebus Agreement and to this day the general service filament lamp was and is designed to have, on average, a minimum life of 1,000 hours. It has often been alleged--though not in evidence to us--that the Phoebus organisation artificially made the life of a lamp short with the object of increasing the number of lamps sold. As we have explained in Chapter 9, there can be no absolutely right life for the many varying circumstances to be found among the consumers in any given country, so that any standard life must always represent a compromise between conflicting factors. B.S.I, has always adopted a single life standard for general service filament lamps, and the representatives of both B.S.I, and B.E.A., as well as most lamp manufacturers, have told us in evidence that they regard 1,000 hours as the best compromise possible at the present time, nor has an evidence been offered to us to the contrary. Accordingly we must dismiss as misconceived the allegation referred to above."^[11] See also[edit] * Planned obsolescence * Centennial Light References[edit] 1. ^ MacKinnon, J. B. (2016-07-14). "The L.E.D. Quandary: Why There's No Such Thing as "Built to Last"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-05. 2. ^ Feuille officielle suisse du commerce. Berne. February 7, 1925. p. 216. 3. ^ Metze, Marcel "Anton Philips (1874-1951). They will know who they're dealing with", Uitgeverij Balans, Amsterdam, 2004, ISBN 90 5018 612 2 (Summary) Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine. 4. ^ "Corporations: A Very Tough Baby". Time Magazine. 1945-07-23. Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 5. ^ Jurgen Bonig (1993). Die Einfuhrung von Fliessbandarbeit in Deutschland bis 1933 (in German). LIT Verlag Munster. p. 277. ISBN 3894731117. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-03. 6. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Markus Krajewski (24 September 2014). "The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy". IEEE Spectrum. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017. 7. ^ A history of pre-war lightbulb manufacture Archived 2015-06-14 at the Wayback Machine, 14-04-2015, 8. ^ Peretti, Jacques (July 2014). "The Men Who Made Us Spend, Episode 1". BBC. Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-07-10. 9. ^ Hehkulampussa ja ledissa sama ongelma: lampo Archived 2011-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Suomen Kuvalehti 13.10.2011, an interview of research scientist, D.Sc. Eino Tetri, Leader of the Light Sources and Energy Group in Aalto University 10. ^ "Incandescent, LED, Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent and Halogen Bulbs". Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. 11. ^ Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission (1951). Report on the Supply of Electric Lamps (PDF). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 98. ISBN 010518487X. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2020-04-14. Further reading[edit] * Wells, Wyatt C. (2002). Antitrust and the Formation of the Postwar World. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12398-1. External links[edit] * Patrick Gaughen "Structural Inefficiency in the Early Twentieth Century: Studies in the Aluminum and Incandescent Lamp Markets" Social Science 610, December, 1998, 36 pp. * U K Monopolies Commission "Report on the Supply of Electric Lamps", His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, October 1951, v + 199 pp. * Markus Krajewski "The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy" IEEE Spectrum, September, 2014. * Cosima Dannoritzer "The Light Bulb Conspiracy - Extended Video Version" New World News Network, August 8, 2016 * v * t * e Philips * Philips Consumer Lifestyle + Saeco * Philips Healthcare Current + Philips Avent + Respironics + Shenzhen Goldway Industrial * Corporate Technologies * Liquavista * Magnavox * NXP Semiconductors Divisions and * Philips Analytical subsidiaries * Philips Lighting + Philips Lumileds Lighting Company Former * Philips Natuurkundig and Laboratorium defunct * PolyGram + Fontana Records + Mercury Records + Philips Classics Records + Philips Records + PolyGram Filmed Entertainment + Vertigo Records * NXP Semiconductors (19.9%) Current * Philips-Neusoft Medical Systems (51%) * ASML Holding * Broadcast Television Systems Inc. * Grundig Joint * LG.Philips Displays ventures and * LG Philips LCD shareholdings Former * Marantz and * Navteq defunct * NEC Philips Unified Systems * Philips Consumer Communications * TP Vision Philips shield * TSMC (2013).svg * SSMC * Lumileds * Ambilight * Hue * Norelco * Philips Cinema 21:9 TV * Philips GoGear * Philips Intimate Massagers Current * Senseo * ShoqBox * Sonicare * Streamium Brands, * Trimension products * Video Content Protection and standards System * Philips CD-i * Philips Nino * Philips Velo * Philips Videopac Defunct * Philips VideoWriter * Philips :YES * Philishave * SpeechMagic * Video 2000 Cor Boonstra President and Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten People Co-founders Anton Philips and Gerard Philips Frits Philips * Evoluon * High Tech Campus Eindhoven Places * Philips Arena * Philips Stadion * Carousel * HDMI Licensing * Morshu Other * Philips Sports Manager of the Year * Phoebus cartel * Category Category * v * t * e Siemens * Energy Sector + Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy * Industry Sector + Siemens Milltronics Process Instruments + Siemens Mobility Current + Siemens PLM Software * Siemens Financial Services * Siemens Healthineers + Varian Medical Systems * Siemens Canada * Siemens Mexico * Siemens Pakistan * Acuson Corporation^1 * C.A. Parsons & Company^1 * Dispolok^2 Divisions and * Duewag^1 subsidiaries * Helios AG^2 * Infineon Technologies^2 * Mentor Graphics^1 * Osram^2 * Roke Manor Research^2 Former * Siemens Communications^1 & * Siemens Dematic^2 defunct * Siemens Home & Office Communication Devices^2 * Siemens Hearing Instruments^2 * Siemens IT Solutions & Services^2 * Siemens Mobile^2 * Siemens VAI^1 * Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme^2 * Siemens Plessey^2 * Siemens VDO^2 * Wincor Nixdorf^2 * ROLM^1 * Atos (15%) * German Shanghai Metro Group Current * Primetals Technologies (49%) * Siemens Saudi Arabia * A2SEA (49%) * Areva NP (34%) * BiiN Joint ventures * BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances & + Gaggenau investments Former & + NEFF defunct * Eurotrain * Fujitsu Siemens Computers * Krauss-Maffei * Nokia Siemens Networks (49.9%) * PolyGram^2 (50%) * Siemens Matsushita Components * Unify GmbH & Co. KG (49%) * Siemens & Halske Predecessors * Siemens-Schuckert * Siemens-Reiniger-Werke * FINEX * Locomotives * Multiple units * Siemens Modular Metro * Siemens Inspiro * Siemens Desiro Current * Siemens Velaro Products, * Siemens SP260D services & * Siemens SP90G projects * Simatic * Software products * Tram vehicles * Mobility projects * Elektrische Viktoria Defunct * Mobile phones * SIMpad * Wilfried Feldenkirchen * Joe Kaeser * Karlheinz Kaske * Klaus Kleinfeld * Peter Loscher * Bernhard Plettner * Heinrich von Pierer * Jim Reid-Anderson * Erich Reinhardt People * Ernst von Siemens * Carl Friedrich von Siemens * Carl Heinrich von Siemens * Hermann von Siemens * Peter von Siemens * Werner von Siemens * Georg Wilhelm von Siemens * Carl Wilhelm Siemens * Gerd Tacke * Grosssiedlung Siemensstadt * Northampton Kings Heath Siemens Depot Places * Siemens Arena * Siemens Goole * Siemensstadt * Phoebus cartel * Siemens Competition * Siemens Foundation Other * Siemens Open * Siemens scandal (Japan, 1914) * Siemens scandal (Greece, 2008) * Werner von Siemens Ring * ^1Now integrated into other Siemens divisions or business groupings * ^2Sold * Category Category * Commons page Commons * v * t * e General Electric Company * GEC Computers * GEC Medical * GEC Research * GEC Traction * Hirst Research Centre Former subsidiaries * Marconi Company and divisions * Marconi Electronic Systems * Marconi Instruments * Marconi-Osram Valve * Marconi Research Centre * Osram * Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering * Alenia Marconi Systems * GEC Alsthom Former joint * GEC Plessey Telecommunications ventures * Matra Marconi Space * Thomson Marconi Sonar * Associated Electrical Industries + Birlec + British Thomson-Houston (BTH) + Edison Swan + Hotpoint + Metropolitan-Vickers + Siemens Brothers & Co + William Thomas Henley * A.B. Dick Company * English Electric Predecessors + Dick, Kerr & Co and acquisitions + Elliott Brothers + Marconi Company + Ruston & Hornsby + Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns + Vulcan Foundry + Willans & Robinson * Gilbarco Veeder-Root * Radio & Allied Industries * Tracor * W & T Avery * Yarrow Shipbuilders * BAE Systems * Marconi Communications Successors * Telent * Unify * GEC 2050 * GEC 4000 series Computers * GEC Series 63 * OS4000 * British Rail Class 91 * GEC Stephenson locomotive Products * South African Class 4E * South African Class 9E, Series 1 Locomotives * South African Class 9E, Series 2 * South African Class 10E1, Series 1 * South African Class 10E1, Series 2 * Cyril Hilsum * Baron Hirst * George Simpson People * Martin Sixsmith * Michael Sobell * Arnold Weinstock * GEC-Marconi scientist deaths conspiracy Other theory * Phoebus cartel * Category Category * v * t * e General Electric * GE Additive * GE Aviation + GE Aviation Systems * GE Capital * GE Digital Current * GE Healthcare * GE Power * GE Renewable Energy + LM Wind Power * GE Research * Australian Guarantee Corporation^1 * Canadian General Electric^1 * Compagnia Generale di Elettricita^2 * Current, powered by GE^2 * Electric Bond and Share Company^2 * GE Aerospace^2 * GE Americom^2 * GE Appliances^2 * GE Automation & Controls ^2 * GE Betz^2 * GE Capital IT Solutions^ 2 Subsidiaries * GE Capital Rail Services and divisions ^2 * GE Commercial Finance^1 * GE Energy^1 * GE Equipment Services^2 Former * GE Home & Business and Solutions^2 defunct * GE Industrial^2 * GE Infrastructure^1 * GE Jenbacher^2 * GE Lighting^2 * GE Measurement & Control Solutions^1 * GE Oil and Gas^1 * GE Security^2 * GE Transportation^2 * GE Waukesha^2 * GE Wind Energy^1 * GECIS^2 * GEIS^2 * Genesis Lease^2 * Genworth Financial^2 * Montgomery Ward^2 * Synchrony Financial^2 * Tungsram^1 * United Nuclear Corporation^1 * Utah Construction Company^2 * Whatman^1 * Baker Hughes (30%) * CFM International (50%) * Engine Alliance (50%) * GE Hitachi Nuclear Current Energy (60%) * GE Honda Aero Engines (50%) Joint * Prolec GE (49.99%) ventures * TBS GB / General Electric shareholdings * Alco-GE (1940-53) logo.svg * NBC (1926-30, 1986-2004) * NBCUniversal, LLC Former (2004-13) * Penske Truck Leasing (15.5%) * Wabtec * Aircraft engines * General Comprehensive Operating System * GEnie Products * Locomotives and brands * Mazda * Reciprocating engines * Trivection oven * Tungsram * Charles A. Coffin * Thomas Edison Founders * Edwin J. Houston * J. P. Morgan * Elihu Thomson * Jeffrey R. Immelt Executives * Jack Welch * Bob Wright People * James Cash Jr. * John L. Flannery * Ann Fudge * Susan Hockfield Outside * Andrea Jung Directors * Rochelle Lazarus * Sam Nunn * Roger Penske * Vera Silva * Douglas A. Warner III * GE Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza) * GE Building (570 Lexington Avenue) * Nela Park Places and * Realty Plot facilities * Research Laboratory * River Works * Specialty Control Plant * Switchgear Plant * Welch Technology Centre * Carousel of Progress (1964-65, Sponsorship 1967-73, 1975-85) * Horizons at Epcot (1983-93) * GE True * The General Electric Concert * General Electric EdgeLab * General Electric Theater * General Imaging * Thomson-Houston Electric Company Other * Timeline * United States v. General Electric Co. * Diamond v. Chakrabarty * Phoebus cartel * KGEI * ^1Now integrated into other GE divisions or business groupings * ^2Sold or spun off * Category Category * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Phoebus_cartel&oldid=1020022476" Categories: * Cartels * Incandescent light bulbs Hidden categories: * CS1: Julian-Gregorian uncertainty * Webarchive template wayback links * CS1 German-language sources (de) * Articles with short description * Short description matches Wikidata * All articles with unsourced statements * Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020 * Articles with unsourced statements from April 2021 * AC with 0 elements Navigation menu Personal tools * Not logged in * Talk * Contributions * Create account * Log in Namespaces * Article * Talk [ ] Variants Views * Read * Edit * View history [ ] More Search [ ] [Search] [Go] Navigation * Main page * Contents * Current events * Random article * About Wikipedia * Contact us * Donate Contribute * Help * Learn to edit * Community portal * Recent changes * Upload file Tools * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Special pages * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Wikidata item Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version Languages * Catala * Deutsch * Espanol * Francais * hangugeo * Italiano * Nederlands * Ri Ben Yu * Norsk bokmal * Portugues * Romana * Russkii * Ukrayins'ka * Zhong Wen Edit links * This page was last edited on 26 April 2021, at 19:01 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia(r) is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. * Privacy policy * About Wikipedia * Disclaimers * Contact Wikipedia * Mobile view * Developers * Statistics * Cookie statement * Wikimedia Foundation * Powered by MediaWiki