The state herald., 1895-08-16
ROBBED BY JAPANESE.
They Ignore Our Patents and Mako Dup.
lIcate Articles Which Sell Way
Below tho Cost In this

N examination Of Its catalogue Is SUI.
Icient to convince any one that eiforts
o buil IN an export trade In genera
merchandise frua the United States 10
his country would he wasted. 1t rep.
esents an epltome of the progress OIL
he people for the last twenty-five years
md demonstrates the facility ana the
accuracy of the Japanese In initiating
The arts and Industries of other ma.
lions. 1t contains in its department OF
sample of almost every
thing that enters into the wants OF ciNi-
lied men, and most of the articles are
exact reproductions OF inventions mat
ARE still protected by patents In Eu
rope and the United States.
One of the weak spots In the nation
al morals of Japan is the refusal oil 'he
government to make patent and trade
mark treaties, for there Is no protcctioh
whatever against piracy in Japan.
Every novelty and invention foi
which they have any use will be repro
duced here within three months after
1t appears In the United States or Lon
don. and will be sold for about one-han
what 1t costs there. Every japanese
who goes abroad Is always on the look
out for some useful and profitable pro
cess or article which his people at home
hair hsnsa Ma unplifaff ittiilhles II II
the United States as we'll rs in Europe
are continually sending designs to thcl
friends nt home, even toys and game,
and puzzles. The famous thirteen puz
gle was sold by peddlcrs on the street,
OF Tokyo within three months after /
appeared in the United States. havin,
been sent over by Japanese merchan
In New York. They have an advantac,
here In not being compelled TO pay roy
atty as well us in the low price of In
Dor, SO that when they acquire the in
ventions Of foreigners they can repro
duce and sell the goods much chcapc
than they cost ut home. The lnpanesl
are splendid chemists also. and the,
are able to analyzc patent medicines
chemicals and patents of that sort ant
manufacture them to suit the demands
OF their own market.
They have no respect for trademarks
but Initiate them on their own goods
even to the name of the manufacturers
III Is bad enough to have them steal oul
patents. but when they put on label,
IKE the genuine 10 deceive the public
IL Is carrying wicked practice little
TOO Tar and adding insult 10 injury.
For example. you will find perfectins
presses In nearly all the printing office.
OF Japan, bearing the name of X. II
Hoe " Co, New Yorh-the Inscription
being cast in raised letters upon the iron
Every one of these machines was man,
ufactured in Japan without the pprmis.
sion or the knowledge of the Hoe com.
pany. Some years ago the American
Trading company imported half a dozen
Hoe presses for dealer IN printing ma.
terlnls In Tokyo, and delivered them IN
the buyer NJ cost OF $3.50 each. A few
months later Mr.. Morse, the president of
the American Trading company. called
on the local dealer 10 pay his respects
anu found thirty or forty similar presses
In his warcrOOm, all bearing the name OF
IL. ii. Hoe X Co., New York
AIR remarked MIR. Morse. ''you Are
importing presses ON your own ac.
COuntg"
NO" was the reply 1--WE are making
them ourselves"
But YOU have no right To put that
lnme ON any machine You make" eX.
'laimed Mr.. Morse. with Indignation.
Ihey cast them ut the foundry In that
Nay, was the answer: but | do not
'ec who l. going 10 prevent us. There
no foreign patent law in Japan"
But III re is moral law which every
ion"st Business man should recognize
md obey. and, while no one can pr,.
rent You from robbins the Hoe company
you ought TO BE- satisfied with stealing
heir machine only and not their reputa.
don"
Tue Japanese machines were sold ri
$40 at a large profit, or SO less than
they cost In the United States.
Mason X llamlln organs that sell for
$40 In the United States are manufar.
iurcd In Osaka aud sold FOR SlT apiece
10 l'eoplc who suppose they are imported
from the United States. Singer sewing
machines and other machines patented
under the laws OF the United States are
reproduced here exactly, except that The
table is made very low to suit the hablf
the Japanese have of sitting ON the floor
They make their own telephones AMI
elecirlc'lleht apparatus on American
patents without asking leave or paving
royalty. The telephone they have hers
Is an Improvement ON that We are uc
cusiomcd 10 In that II has two receivers
which are placed at both ears Instead OF
one. You can also obtain the hes; Eng.
llsh and American bicycles made IN
Japan for about half what the genuine
articles cost.
You can buy Pears soap. Beechams
pills and Worcestershire sauce of Ian
ancsc make that are put up exactly Ike
the origlnnl-it Is very difficult TO tell
the dlfrercncc-and many patent mcdI.
cines, tooth powders. cosmetics and
other preparations for the toilet Bass
ale. P0riers stout and Milwaukee cx.
port beer, made In Japan and bottled
aud labeled exactly like the original.
are exhibited among the products OF
the empire nj the Kyoto exposition.
The Eagle brand Of condensed milk IL
also to bc found there. and. what il
more Interesting 10 some Of my Chlcn-
go readers, various samples of Armours
canned mcntS, There Ii no attempt ON
the part Of the exhibitor 10 deceive the
public lie Is proud Of his success as n
forger, and when you tell him that Ar.
mour's beef is made only In Chicago
he assures you that his il exactly like
the original, bu, Is made IN Japan.
Foreign Inventors and manufacturers
have tried repeatedly To test the aurs.
ilon In the courts. but have been unable
to obtain relief They have also cndcnv.
ored TO secure protection by assigning
their patent rights 10 Japanese citizens,
hut the patent office viii not issue n Ger.
ililcnic for anything that IL not Invented
by n nntiye Trade marks can be pro.
tcctcd by having them secured In the
nnino OF Japanese "solc agent" hut
they must be- modified IN some manner
80 M to he different from the original.
The same emu be- done with copyrights.
hut No method has yet been con,rlvcd
Ia protect patents.
The only foreign patent or copyright
that wns ever protected IN japan was
the EngllHh,laptncso dictionary. which
represents twenty-five years labor on
the part NJ Dr. James G. Hepburn. ihu
pioneer medical missionary Of the Pres.
bytcrnn board, who came here In 1850,
mud WINS ouly recently delivered from