Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-04-25
INJUSTICE TO INVENTORS.

a body of intelligent legislators can be ire
duced to give their approval. Either the
power OF prejudice, or the power Of clio. |
quence, or the power of money, or the pow
or oil carelessntss is playing the havoc, in
THESE rushing times, with our Congress and
Legislatures. Such bills as are introduced,
are only less wonderful than such bills as are
passed. Haste and the lobby are making
legs alton a farce. The people may well be
astonished at what their representatives are
doing in the peoples name.
For pure stupidity and outrageous injus
tic', bill recently brought before the House
by MIR. Calkins of Indiana, and passed by q
large majority of that body, goes ahead of
nlthing we have heard of for long time
This bill provides that the inventor
or owner of patent bringing a
suit against infringcrs shall recover
no costs and shall pay the defendants law
yer $50. If there ever was a foolish and in.
consequential measure brought before the
House this reads like it. And what is
the reason for such petulent and incom-
prchcnsblc demand? 1t seems that the
people of the West have Of late suffered
somewhatc by purchasing patented articles
or patent rights of those who had no right to
dispose of them. As result they have been
prosecuted by the owners of the rights and
made to pay. They arc angry with the
people who invent and who have their mon
ey, experience and brains invested in patents
instead Of those who stole the rights of the
pa'entees and sold them the stolen goods.
Their revenge has been to turn upon the
innocent inventor, and try and de-
prive him of his rights because
some rnprinciplcd scalawags have stolen
his property and sold it to others rs
their own. A number of Western and South
ern Congressman have presented bills Just as
foolish as that of Mr.. Calkins. Several of
them have been rushed through the House
and presented to the Senate already. One.
presented by Mr.. Vance of North Carolina,
declares that any person may use patent
cd article without liability until he has re-
ceived notice that tie patent exists, when he
may require the paentee to give him the
use OF the patent on the payment of such
royalty as Tie courts may name. This bill
passed the House by vote of 114to6.
Senator Voorhees, of Indiana has ntroduc.
cd bill which goes further still 1t provides
that If any person purchases patented arti-
Gle without notice that it is covered by a
patent or without notice that the seller has
no right to sell such articles, such want of
notice shall be good defence in action for an
and subsequent notice "shall
not impair in any way the right Of such pur-
chaser as absolute owner"
The question is, will the people permit
their representatives to legislatc against
class in this unjust and foolish manner p
and especially against class so Necessary to
the material welfare OF the country as the
class OF inventors. If these bills become
law, what security or what inducrment will
there be for the exercise of inventive genius
in this country2 The mechanical industry
Of the nation will receive an immediate
check. Those wonderful results of invent
i've genius, which have placed the United
STATES in the front rank of modern nations,
by developing her resources and in
creasing her natural prosperity as
nothing else could, will cease to
have their effect. Who will invent,
II he can have no security that the fruits of
his study and toll will be secured to him by
The law! The farmer would MT plant, il
he could have no redress from those who
might choose TO help themselves to the pro-
ducts OF his land. And is not the inventor
just as much the owner of his ideas as the
farmer is the owner of his crop2 If patents
are not property, then what are the quail
flcations that constitute property?
Any sensiblc-minded person must see
that any such policy as is embodied in the
bills we have referred to is destructive
and pernicious in the last degree.
We hope that the sentiment of the country
VIII be aroused in regard to this matter, and
that our legislators will receive intimations
that the people are opposed to the passage
OF any such pctulant and unjust measures
as are proposed by the representatives of
the section which thinks itself aggrievcd.
Our inventors are the backbone of our La
tlonal prosperity. We owe the greater part
Of our commercial and industrial success to
them. AS class they are none too well
protected by the law as it Is, and ANYTHING
which aarsdges their rights and privileges
Ought to be ground down by the entire
peoplc'and press of the country.