New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-18
PATENTS OF ALL NATIONS.
A LEAGUE TO PROTECT INVENTORS
RIGHTS
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BY OTHER GOVERN
MENTs TO PUT DOWN P1RACY-BENEFITs
OF AN INTERNATT oNAL UNION.


cjous and attractive American girl' has established
the fame of this Nation in Europe it Is the patent
system With trains Of Pullman cars on Continental
RAILWAYS. with the American steamboat and Amcf
can telegraph, with the American machine guns OF
Maxim Hotchiss aud Calling, the American breech
loading rifles and metallic cartridges of BeTdan, the
American telephone, sewing machine incandescenl
electric lamp webporfecting printing press, and mil
lions of dollars worth OF American agricultural
machinery annually exported TO Europe for years
the American name has become in the old countries
the synonym Of ingenuity. What now, ono may
ask, has the Government done to protect in for
eign countries the property arising out
OF the ideas of It's inventive citizens!
Has IL taken active and influential part in any
movement designed 10 unity the patent laws Of the
world and afford the inventor universal and eQuao!e
protection wherever there may be market for his
Inventions? II is doubtful if Government official
out OF ten knows that anything looking 10 such all
end has been attempted by foreign Governments It's
still probable that Congressman out Of twenty
knows that the treatymaking powers of this Govern
ment have entered into convention with She princi-
pal European nations this subject which IS IN
direct conflict with some Of its own patent laws anu
which assumes certain obligations for the carrying
out of which money is needed. sixteen years ago
the first conference was held for the discussion OF
prospective international union for the protection OF
Industrial property. and after several subsequent
meetings a convention OF articles was adopted Which,
on June Il. 1887. was proclaimed by the President
of .he United States, by and with the advice ana
consent Of the senate At all these conferences
except the first. tho greatest inventive Nation Of tie
world represented only by a Foreign Minister
Articles were discussed and adopted. accordingly
which can be assmilacd with patent system about
as easily as a nettlc be grated on an oak As a
natural consequence. American inventors pay no al
.entoD the convention in patcntng their inventions
abroad. To them II is dead letter And when Tor
cgners demand here the privileges ostensby accordeu
them by the treaty, the Attorney General OF the
United States Is compelled to rule that Is IN connc'
with the laws OF the Nation, and cannot be carried out
except by further home legislation
The first International Conference regarding III
dustraI property met in Vienna, August a. 1915
this Government being represented by ). NJ lhachef'
Assistant Commissioner of Patents lis object was 10
discuss the proprcty Of establishing uniform patent
system in Europe, and to suggest the general features
IL should embrace series OF RESOLUTIONS WIS
adopted looking that end, and committee was
appointed 10 cOnvOkc second congress. An lntHI-
national Congress was instituted i'm september 1878,
under the patronage OF the French Government on
the occasion OF the international Exposition al fafs'
There was an elaborate programme, largely OF papers
on theoretical subjects and resolutions were adopted
relating 10 the Of property in mechanical IN
ventons designs and trademarks. the means for
their protection and to treaties relating to them
The French Government, in response to resolution
OF the congress- undertook 10 formulate plan Tor
permanent international union for the protection OF
industrial property
On the invitation of France. conference assembled
at Paris I'm November 1850 al which the following
countries were represented either by their Ministers
At Paris or by special delegates: Argentine Republic,
Austria-Hungaiy Belgium. Brazil. United States,
France. Great Brta n, Guatemala, Italy. LNemuufg'
the Netherlands Portugal Russ a. salvador. sweden
Norway. Switzcrlan1 Turkey. Uruguay and Venezuela
The United safes represented by Mr. Putnam
Minister 10 Brussels To this co ference was presented
a scheme drafted by NJ Jagerschmidt, the Minister
Plenipoentiary OF France. prepared by him In pur-
silance of the action Of the congress OF 1878. This
scheme was long and thoroughly discussed, the
delegates all taking part eNceQ, those of Great britain
and the United Its articles. as finally adopted
assumed the shape Of the convention proclaimed by
the President June II, 1857. The conference again
assembled at Paris on March g. 1853. Meanwmlo
the project as adopted had been Communicated to the
several Governments interested. had been laVolauR
received by many Of them, and the object Of The
present conference 10 sign the convention ana
thereby institute the projected International Union
Tie signatOry powers were: Belgium, France,
Guatemala, Italy, the Netherlands. Portugal, sal
vador servia SPAIN and switzerland. Mr. Morton,
the United States Minister France who wds dele
gate 10 this conference, announced that his Govern
ment had not been able to give the subject tie con
sheraton that its importance demanded. and tnat he
adhesion of the United States might be given at some
future time If that were permitted special rso-
linton was adopted empowering the swiss Govern
ment 10 receive the accession Of the United states under
certain reservation regarding the constitutional
authority of the General Government to leSsate re-
gardng trade marks
Before adjournment it decided TO hold the next
conference at Rome in 1855. 1t was postponed
year however in order that the working Of the con
yenfion might be practically tested. and did not meet
until April. 1856. This conference was not conhheu
10 REPRESENTATIVES, of forming the union, ana
Germany was now represented for the first time MI.
stallo Minister TO Italy, delegate for the United
States but took no part declaring that he assisted at
tIe conference solely ad referendum" and that he
should report the proceedings 70 his Government Win
out binding il IN any respect Many propositions
were submitted 10 this conference 10 modify the text
OF the existing treaty, and they elected warm discus
sion Great Britain having Joined the union in 1854,
her representatives particularly active IN view OF
the trademark interests of her manufacturers. Ad-
dltiona paragraphs Articles and 10 of the con
yention were adopted, but changes were made in
the text of the existing articles. These additional
paragraphs are still subject 10 ratification.
The object Of the International Union was stated
by NJ Tirad. French Minister Of Agriculture and Com
mercs in an address al the opening session Of the
Paris Conference of 1850, = follows: We are 10
seek for the TO establish International Union
which. without prejudice TO The legislation Of par
t.cular the subject, shall have TWO oblec
first TO assure 10 the subjects Of every state the en-
iovment in every other of all the rights the sub
ioots or citizens of the latter enjoy in respect to
pa,ents or Inventions de- gns, trade marks. AID the
commercial name and secondly, to establish num-
her Of general and uniform provisions which all
citizens of the contracting States shall equally enjoy
the benefit Of" The first Of these objects is further
declared In Article of the convention, as follows:
Tho subjects or citizens of each of the contracting
etstcs shall enjoy. I'm all the other States of the
union so far as concerns patents for inventions,
trade or commercial marks and the commercial name,
the advantages that the respective laws thereof at
nresent accord or shall alterward aco0rl 10 sub
teos or citizens In consequence they shah nave the
same protrction as these latter and the same legal
l.-n-L.-rarnnmIs Of lLeLr l.lrLls