Omaha daily bee., 1892-01-22
HOW TO SECURE A PATENT.
Directions to Inventors Issued by The Bee
Bureau of Claims,
METHODS OF THE PATENT OFFICE,
The Course Followed by the Author of an
Invention to Protect His Rights
Costs of Obtaining IA
Patent.

~ NhS - AS''
presents Itself, GLOW can / secure a patentl'
and to this THE Bgz Bureau offers the fol-
lowing explanation:
Inventors as a class are not familiar with
the laws under which letters patent are
granted, the forms and practice In the patent
Office at Washin gtou and the technical
methods of casting specifications and claims
to properly protect their inventions against
infringers, yet the value of the patent and
even it's validity depend largely upon the
careful and expert preparation OF the case.
Specifications must be drawn to fully dis
close the invention, to distin guish betwee
what is new and what is old, and claims.
upon which the value and validity Of the
patent depend, must be cast to fully cover
the invention yet not to encroach upon pat
ents already granted. Failure in either of
these respects often renders the patent value
less or void. The employment of counsel
skilled in patent law Is therefore usually a
prerequisite to the proper prosecution of a
case and a grant OF a valuable patent.
Many inventors suffer the loss of benefits
that should be derived from valuable inven-
tons owing to insufficient protection by pat
cts procured through incompetent or care
less agents, etc.
For what Granted.
Under the laws of the United States let
tiers patent are granted to any person who
has invented or discovered any new and use
full arr, machine, manufacture or composition
of matter, or has invented any new or useful
Improvement thereon.
Term of Patent.
A patent is granted for seventeen years,
during which time the owner has sole and
exclusive right to make, use and sell tn
patented invention.
How to Proceed.
For economic reasons before making APP
| p~lication to the patent Office for a patent,
the novelty and pstentability OF the inven-
| ton should be ascertained, because, If the
invention is not new or not patentable an
unnecessary expense is incurred by fling an
| application on which a patent can never be
| granted, etc.
The first thing to be done is to find out
whether or not the invention Is new and
patentabJe.
For advice on the point it is necessary to
send to the bureau a rough or complete
sketch or q photograph Of the invention, to-
gether with a brief description thereof,
setting forth the object OF the improve
ments, the arrangement Of the parts and
the advantages attained. While a model is
very seldom necessary, yet 1t is often Of
great assistance. The latter can be made OF
any cheap material, ard will be returned If n
request Is made to that effect.
Upon receipt of the data mentioned :ufic-
cent to enable the invention TO be understood
our counsel will at once examine thereinto,
and will advise without charge what is the
best course to pursue ana will express an
opin on. from their knowledge of the arts
and patents already geanted, as to the patent
ability of the invention. "a. e.
In this connection it Is recommended that
the best and safest course IS to have a
special search made in the patent office to
ascertain whether or not the invention has
been heretofore patented. The advantage of
such a search is that II no anticipating patent
is discovered the application can be filed with
a greater decree OF certainty. whereas II the
invention is found to be old all further ex-
pense is avoided. The cost of a search Of
this nature is S., and with the report Of the
result thereof the inventor will be furnished
with copies of such patents, IL any, as en-
brace his ideas. 1t is much better to have
this search made in the outset before incu r
ring any expense whatever regarding the a p
p~licstlon for patent.
II 1t is found that he inven ton is new ard
patentable the client is advised to proceed
with the filing OF an application for patent,
and will then be requested to remit $l5
to cover the first government fee and
IS in payment of cost of drawing, when one
is necessary. AS soon as possible after the
receipt Of this remittance the specification of
the invention will be carefully prepared
and forwarded to the inventor, together with
forms for application for patent ready for
execution. Upon return of the latter the case
will be promptly flied at the patent office and
notice will be sent when action is had there
on, aud also of the nature of such action.
The examining corps of the patent Office Is
divided into thirty-two divisions, among
which the applications are divided according
to the official classification. TIT condition of
the work in tho various divisions varies from
one to five months in arrears.
The Bureau Charges.
Consistent with the spirit with which this
bureau was formed, it is not intended to
conduct any branch OF the business on a
money making basis, but 1t is proposed TO do
the work as near the actual cost as will pro-
tect the business from loss. Although counsel
are retained at heavy expense to the bureau,
yet it is the wish TO charge in ordinary cases
only the minimum fee of S25. However, in
cases requiring extra care, time and labor
the fee will be nroportlonately increased, but
clients will always be advised in advance
should such increase OF fee be found neces-
sary. In directing inquiries please mention
the fact that you read these instructions in
The BEE.
Design Patents.
A patent for a design is granted to any
person who has invented or, procured any
new and original design for the printing of
wooden, silk, cotton or other fabrics; any
new and original Impression, ornament, pat
tern, print or picture to be printed, painted,
cast or otherwise placed on or worked into
ANY uTulClC VI mtuulhCIuEc vi any uCW,
useful and original shape or contiguration of
any article of manufacture, the same not
having been known or used by others before
his invention or production thereof, or pat
ented or described in any printed publica-
ton. Patents for designs are granted for
the term of three and ,oQe-half years, the
government fee being $40; or for seven years,
the fee being $l5; or for fourteen years, the
fee being $50. The charge OF the bureyu in
such cases is usually S25, g.
Reissues.
A patent can be reissued whenever tho
same is imperative or nvalid by reason of a
defective or insufficient specification, or by
reason of the patentee's claiming more than
he had a right to claim as new, providing the
error has arisen by accident, mistake or in
advertencc, ana without fraudulent intent.
The government fee for u reissue is $50. The
cost OF drawing is s., and the bureau charge
is usually S35. Great care must 90 exercised
in reissuing a patent, because very often
what little validity there may be in a defec-
tive patent is entirely lost bv procuring a re-
ssue which is totally invalid.
Rejected Cases.
There are in the patent office a great many
cases which stand rejected, but which should
be allowed. This condition OF tho case may
be uue either to incompetency on the part OF
the attorney employed or his inability, no.
cause OF residence elsewhere than in Wash
ington, TO make the examiner sec the iuven-
ton in its true light: and then, again, as