The daily gazette., 1881-06-21

American Inventors I'm France.
The French patent laws provide
that "no foreign invention can be pat.
ented In France except under the con.
dition that the article invented and the
machinery necessary to Its fabrication
0e made in France that the inventor
VINO manufactures the article In any
other country and imports 1t for sale
loses the right to the invention, which
then becomes public property It is
easy to see how sadvantageously this
law has operated on American inyen-
tors. But the French people are now
beginning to see that It acts equally to
their disadvantage. A United States
inventor now takes up his patent in
France simply to secure the invention
in case of future Requirements. He
does not do 80 with the idea Of utilizing
his invention in France, because the
laws Of the country, as he knows, pre-.
vent bis doing 80 with profit to him
self. He would be obliged to erect a
manufactory there, and have requisite
machinery also made there, SO that the
manufactured article might be manu-
factured by French machinery on
French soil. This great additional
expense the inventor will not, for OBJ
vious reasons, incur, and as the I'M
ported article cannot be sold without
forfeiture Of the patent rights, the
invention remains dead letter SO far
as the enjoyment OF it to the French
people is concerned. There have been
casos where the American inventor
has gone to the expense of making new
machinery and erecting workshops
as, for instance, in the manufacture of
sewing machines. 10 some cases,
again, the American inventor has dis
posed Of his patent rights for France,
but they have been few in number. AS
q consequence, the vast majority of
our useful and labor saving machines
are practically unknown to the French
people.
or late years these matters have been
brought nearer home to them than ever
fefore, aud the abolisment OF the re.
striotive clause In the patent law is
among the near possibilities. At the
Paris exposition of 1873 among the new
Inventions sent from this country was
the Edison electric pen. The French ex-
and liked 1t. In the United States the
pen was then sold at An average price
OF 50, but when Its proprietors were 70.
Quested to make 1t for sale in France,
they asked $50 for 1t. The Increase IN
price was due to the fact that under the
law they could not import the article
ready made, nor make 1t Ia France OK.
cept by hand unless the machinery were
made In that country. 1t was then that
kha Ecu /
that the law,a II stood ,prevanted the use
Of many American Inventions or general
utility. But It Ia In agricultural mach.n-
cry that the French have been the great
or losers. 1t is not too much TO say that
In conse Quence OF this exclusive patent |
law France stands to-day, SO far as agri-
cultural Implements are concerned, |
where this COUNTRY stood half century |
ago. American progress In electrical
matters has again made patent to the |
French the evils of their patent laws. |
most prominent electricians and scien.
ufice men, shave We no important cleo |
lrical works, suoh ~ the Western Elec- |
trio Company, the California Electrical |
Works, Tillots0o & Co.s Works of |
New York; Siemens b Halskie, OF Ber- |
lin; tho Telegraph CONSTRUCTION &
Maintenance Company, Of London;
United States and elsewheref Why 10
Il that We are not competitors in the
,ace for the improvement Of the electro
light, and why are there not In this
country, ~ in the United States, large
with capital eugaged and
actively employed In the production of
/ better and cheaper light?" Their
patent law supplies the answer. The
lact then Is being painfully brought
nome TO the French people that while,
lnder liberal patent laws, substantial |
progress has been made In the United |
States in perfecting, and cheapaning |
articles OF use and comfort to mankind,
hey have voluntarily denied themselves |
he benefit of these Inventions by the |
IMPOSITION OF conditions as Improbable |
% themselves as to the foreign Inventor.
San Francisco Bulletin.