The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-02

spared q vast amount OF prospective nuRa-
ton When we see the number of patents
annually granted, and the litigation conse-
auent thereon, we sometimes ask ourself,
what is the use of patentso or patent offices
An inventor, or at least man believing |
himself to be such, presents at the office |
q model Of q machine, claiming the prin-
clple thereof to be new and valuable, ac-
compauylng the same with plans, specifi-
cations. ETC., not forgetting the fee. A
long and laborious investigation follows,
experts examine models and descriptions
of everything which can be supposed to
bear a resemblance thereto, the applicant
calls to his aid solicitors, and after all
this time and expense what is gained Per-
haps the application is successful,
whereupon the United States grants its
letters patent stating, In substance,
that John Doe is the inventor of q new and
valuable machine, according to the plans
and specifications annexed, and granting to
him the sole and exclusive right to manu-
facture and control the use and sale thereof
for term of years. This is all fair enough
on its face, but its practical workings are
| far different We need not refer to the
many improvements made sometimes know
ingly and at others innocen;ly, and the
costly litigation that cnsues, because if an
inventor really makes a new and valuable
machine, obtains patent therefor, and sees
nothing but plain sailing and great riches
ahead he reckons without his host. But
few deserving inventors have garnercd tho
resultant harvest, unless they were blessed
with indomitabc wills and raised up fol
themselves wealthy friends.
But take something apparently new
something almost unheard of before fol
centuries, an invention, although not ex.
actly new, vet evolved from the inventor.
mind, and where does he stand with his ex
elusive patent 1t may be some grea
labor-saving machine, and with the capita
furnished by others the inventor is pre-
pared to manufacture his wares on an ex
tcnsivc scale, when, 10 and behold, SOM
investigator or student in reading in SOM
book, long ago forgotten by the rest 0
mankind, finds that the same principle wa
known and used by the ancients Wher
then is the inventor? The discovery be
, comes known, competition follows, ltiga
ton cnsucs, and the letters patent of tn
United States are declared worthless, be
1,,t, t...,, I,;, 1, t-y,nx
and forgotten centuries ago. 1t is as niue
the invention of the applicant as was tn
sewing machine of Elias Howe, but throug
many lawsuits, the latter sustained his pa
tent and secured vast wealth, while
through the same means, the other invento
loses his patent and secures home in th
! poor house. Would not the English prat
tcc be far better-that is grant patents
q all corners at their own risk Our systei
| amounts practically to the same thing, bl
, is much more expensive, because long an
, laborious research is made to see if the al
plcant has something new but, after al
, it is at the risk of the inventor, because
the examination should prove faulty, h
!, patent is worthless. In the one case,
, patent assumes to grant what it does nj
grant IN the other case, the applical
n takes his patent with an eff" and unde
stands that he so t likes 1t. One is a shan
: tbs other just what il puIrp92rtSS, TO be.
y really means, as it does, ''if we have mat
h no mistake" let it be honest and say SC
or else let it, for it has the power, say til
its letters patent mean just what they sa
n Give real patent or no patent at all, n
q a sham patent.