Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-10-17
JAPAN'S THEFT OF PATENTS.
A GraceleSs but Ingenious Oriental
Race

William E. Curtis, who is in Japan
investigating the outlook for Ameri-
can Industries and American trade III
that country, reveals a startling OBJ
stacle to the growth of an export
trade from this country to Japan
An eXamina Inn of the catalogue of
the exposition at Kyoto is, he says,
sufficient evidence to convinc, any
one that efforts to build up an export
trade in general merchandise would
the fact that fully one-titLh of the
whole catalogue is u record of pirated
patents.
The marvellous initiative powers of
the japanese, coupled with the lack
either of moral ScrupleS or of any law
protecting foreign patents, has re-
suited in the home production of all
our machinery, implements, patent
medicine, toolS-everyth that is
worth patenting. from a paddock to a
Hoe printing press or an electric light
plant. Not only do they make exact
imita tons. even to trademarks and
firm names of the original mauufact-
urerS, but they do it with vastly
cheaper labor and without the pay
ment of any royalties.
Instead of making a secret of the
matter the japanese are rather proud
OF their cleverneSS in initiating the
original. There is absolutely no re-
dress, for Japan has always refused
to make any international agreement
that will protect foreign patents.
When reproached with this moral Ian
ity the Japanese has this effective ar
gument at his tongues end.
The United States and the Euro
pean powers have refused to recog-
nize Japan as a civilized nation They
have refused to submit their subjects
to the protection of our courts, and
have forbidden lis to make our own
tariff. They insist that their sub
JectS in Japan shall be tried before
their own conSulS, under the laws Of
their own country, because our laws
are not good enough for Them and
they will not allow us to impose a
duty of more than 5 per cent. upon
imported merchandise. Then they
blame us for not being willing to make
treaty to protect their patents Tn
der the new treaties that take effect
in 1899 Japan will become a member
of the International patent and trade
mark union, and will give the inven-
tons of foreigners the same protection
that its own receive. If that is not
satisfactory our government would be
willing to have them go into effect
tomorrow instead of four years
hence"
There is justice in the Jap's COM
plaint but none in his method of re-
prisal. Neither is there much hope
that the promised reform embodied in
the new treaties of 1899 will bring any
security for American or European
patents in Japan. The long era OF
patent robbery has demoraized the
people to such an extent that it will
never pay to attempt to protect our
inventors rights in Japan.
Nor is this the worst aspect of the
case. The clever artiticerS who are
making type-caSting machines with
the name of the American patentees
east in the metal, or who are daily
shipping carloads of "Armour's beef
at prices lower than the original cost
Of the genuine article in Chicago. will
ere long be supplying Asia and Europe
and running our export trade in other
fields. The problem of cheap Asiatic
abor is one of the most momentous
that confrontS the American today.
and Japanese patent-theying is only
one phase of it.