The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-09
An International Patent Congress In
Vienna.

Vienna.
A cable despatch, special to the HERALD,
from Vienna, brings information of an inter
esting and valuable character relative to the
results which are likely to ensue to the indus
trial interests of the United States from the
great International Exhibition which is about
to be opened in the Austrian capital.
On the part Of His Majesty, Francis
Joseph, Count Andrassy states to United
States Minister Jay that his government
assents to an International Congress at Vienna
for the full discussion Of the rights of alien
inventors and their protection, and promises to
negotiate liberal treaty with the United States
comforting tual-rightssnab benefits upon the
inventors Of each country in the territory Of
the other This treaty should embrace COPY
rights of books and works Of art, should pro-
tect authors and artists as well as artisans and
designers. The subject is one which should
enlist genial interest among the American
people, and we trust the administration and
Congress will at once take all requisite
measures to secure such treaty as will fully
satisfy those of our citizens whose brain work
benefits mankind and ought to enrich them
selves. Mr.. jay will merit the thanks of his
countrymen if his mission shall lead to an
international treaty system. including all
Europe with America, under which inventors,
designers and authors will own and profit by
the products of their genius throughout the
civilized world.
Americans, who would have otherwise been
glad to show the world in the Vienna
Universal Exhibition samples of their in
ventive and manufacturing skill, have
heretofore been deferred by an impress
sion that Austria's patent laws fail to
afford them that full protection they consider
desirable and just These laws allow our
countrymen exclusive rights Of property in
their exhibited inventions on condition of en-
tering them for an Austrian patent This is
not q heavy expense by itself, the fee being
small and only payable in yearly instalments;
but the patentee must as condition to pro-
lection against infringement, actually manu-
facture his machine or operate his patented
process within the Empire 1t has been stated
officially, however, that the Austrian govern
ment requires only bare technical compli-
ance with this rule that tho production of
a single sample is enough. not necessitat-
ing the erection Of complete manufacturing
works or any large outlay of capital.
Naturally our countrymen did not care to place
their inventions in the Exhibition merely to
allow all Europe opportunity to copy them,
much as they would like to show their prod
ucts by the side Of those of European arti-
sans. Full protection to the rights of
inventors will, no doubt, induce large
representation of our country's mag
nifcent mechanical skill in the Exhibi-
ton, and cannot fail to be greatly
beneficial to American interests by winning
the esteem of our transatlantic neighbors
Scarcity and dearness of labor have directed
Yankee ingenuity more especially than that
of the inventors Of the Old World to mechani-
cal expedients for substituting other forces for
manual labor. In machines of this character
we can challenge comparison with oil other
countries So, too, in many contrivances for
performing common operations for which our
circumstances create large demand. Our
ploughs, planting machines, moving
printing presses, cotton gins, firearms
and many other triumphs of inventive
genius excite the admiration of the world. To
induce full exhibition Of these and similar
proofs of the excellences of our manufacture
at Vienna is most desirable