Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-22
PATENT LAWS.
Those of Foreign Countries
Very Different from Ours.
Hundreds of American Patents
Cancelled in Germany.

Caused by Inventors Having Neglected
the Requirements of the Imperial Pat
ent Laws, and Now the Inventions Arc
Free to Anyone Who Caros to Take
Advantage Of the Opportunity.
BERLIN, Aug. 22.-Mr. Clark Thurs
ton, vice president of the American
Screw company, of Providence, is visit
ing Germany to select a proper location
for the erection of factory. AT pres
ent the company has small factory in
operation here in Berlin, but it intends
to put up large works somewhere in the
empire. Mr.. Thurston says the princi-
pal reason why his company Is estab-
fishing factories In foreign countries is
to protect their numerous patents.
"Under the patent laws of most foreign
countries" he said, 1--WE have to manu-
facture In the country where the patents
are granted. Consequently, in En-
gland and Germany we shall run facto-
les in our own name. In other coun-
tries we shall sell or lease the patent
rights"
Many American Patents Cancelled.
One Of the leading patent attorneys Of
Berlin, Mr.. Edwin a. Bridges, declares
that hundreds of American patents,
some of them of great Importance, have
been Cancelled here, and the use of these
American inventions made free TO who
ever cared to have them. This has been
due to ignorance of the requirements Of
the German patent law on the part of
Americans Paragraph IL, off the i'm
perial German law of 1877, provides;
The patent can be withdrawn after the
lapse of three years: /. II the patentee
neglects to work his invention in the coun-
try, !, O., in the boundaries Of the German
empire, to an adequate extent or to do all
that was requisite for securing the said
working. q When it appears conducive
TO the public interest that permission to
use the invention be granted to others
and the patentee refuses to grant such per-
mission for an adequate compensation and
on good security.
Many Americans have paid no atten-
ton to this paragraph. They have failed
either 10 work their patent in Germany
or to dispose of the right of manufacture
to some German house within the three
years legal limit. Another cause for the
forfeiture Of many American patents in
ltto bCCiA OiC W phJ JlO
taxes due. Each patent has to pay tax
of thirty marks the first year. fifty marks
additional for each subsequent year.
This This .tBB. is sdRell. RaNlflillf not paid within
three months the patent lapses, and any
one has the right to use the invention at
his pleasure.
Under the new law, going into effect
Oct. /, 1893. the limit of time is fixed at
six weeks after application, with an ad-
ditional limit of six weeks, subject to %
fine of ten marks. Patentees who wish
to preserve their rights must therefore
seek to utilize their patents to a reasona-
BILE extent within the boundaries Of Ger
many by direct manufacture or by lease
to German manufacturers.
In addition to this they must see to it
that their taxes are paid regularly every
year, II they do not care to sacrifice the
fruits of their inventions. 1t is of the
utmost importance that that these facts
should be widely known and regarded,
some of the most important patents,
such as those covering certain sewing
machine attachments, having been for
feited on account of neglect to conform
with the German patent law. An
other important feature of the
new patent law is that every
foreign holder of German pat
ent must have an attorney in fact re.
siding In Germany, upon whom legal
papers, etc, can be served. This law
goes into effect Oct Of this year.