 That June, De Forest entered into an extended legal battle with an employee, Freeman Harrison Owens, for title to one of the crucial Phonofilm patents.Although De Forest ultimately won the case in the courts, Owens is today recognized as a central innovator in the field.The following year, De Forest's studio released the first commercial dramatic film shot as a talking picture—the two-reeler "Love's Old Sweet Song", directed by J. Searle Dawley and featuring Una Merkel.