[ama729]

Phoebus was indeed established in 1924 but:

1) There is a scientific basis for the 10.000 hours, the "greatest" achievement generally attributed to Phoebus[1]:

    > For a supply voltage V near the rated voltage of the lamp:
    
        Light output is approximately proportional to V 3.4
        Power consumption is approximately proportional to V 1.6
        Lifetime is approximately proportional to V −16
        Color temperature is approximately proportional to V 0.42[88]

2) According wikipedia (and this page: http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/icic/def-hist/history/famous.html )[2]:

    > In the late 1920s a Swedish-Danish-Norwegian union of companies
    (the North European Luma Co-op Society) began planning an independent
    manufacturing centre. 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.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightbulb#Light_output_and_life...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel#Demise