The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-25
The Importance of Trade
Marks in Commerce.
Originality Needed TO Sue
ceSSfully Design Them.
Plethora of Freak Ideas for the Pari;
Exposition OF 1900.


,rade mark is a mere fad or fancy OF
the mercnant or manufactures, but IL is
far more important and originality In
deyising trade marks is necessarily some
thing of commercial value. It may seem
very easy to the averages mind to deiiber-
ately coin a title or device or sympol
that will be novel. original and attractive
hut 20 those trade mark owners whose
business IL is TO attempt the coming OF
new trade marks the subject is one which
involves endless difficulties and Is Dor
dered with great perplexities ms is eNl-
denced by the fact that leading nrms very
often advertise large ana vaiuaple,
premiums for novel ideas In this uIrso'
lion. and it il amusing to look over the
large number of suggestions which are
forwarded in response to advertisements OF
This character and 10 find how very lew
OF them really fill the bin.
In the first place In the devisng OF
trade mark, care must be taken TO re-
spect the legal requirements OF trade
mark law. That Is TO say, the trade marx
must not be deceptive or misleading, ana
it also must not be descriptive OF KIND,
quality or origin. Having surmounteu
these fundamental difficulties we next
come TO tho practical consideration OF
what is required by the business wants OF
the particular article which Is 10 be made
the subject of the proposed trade marx.
The mark must first OF all be original anu
not initiative of another persons mark
used for the same class of merchandise;
it must be attractive so that IL will readily
catch the eye ana attract attention; IL
must be simple so that IL may be remem-
bered and carried in.the mind OF the pub
lie; IL should by suggestion or innuendo
advertise and praise the article which is
TO be sold under IL, and it finally should
be of such character rs TO insure Its per-
manent stability. here are many titles
or devices which might have present
popular application, but which, from the
very nature of things would be ephemeral
and transitory In regard TO continued
use.
The trade mark owner, after he has Sc
cured a good, novel and original mark,
which will be the flag OF his commercial
shin should see TO it that he keeps the
honor and reputation OF that flag unspot.
ted and unsullied. The goods which are
sold under the trade mark should be al
ways fully up to the representations made
as regards the equality of the article.
honest weight should always be given
ana no deception OF any kind practiced.
This will De the only means of establish
ing trade mark upon foundation OF
enduring permanence, and the sage and
witty saying Of Abraham Lincoln applies
with peculiar and significant force to
trade mark articles and should not DO
forgotten. Lincoln said: "You may
fool some Of the people all Of the time;
you may fool oil Of the people some of the
time; but you cannot fool all of the peo-
ple ali of tho time" A trade mark Is the
grandest kind of property II IL Is honestly
born, honestly reared and honestly used
by its owner.
A curious phenomenon is the prodigious
termination of eccentric pro jects which
are being brought forward by the ap-
proach of the Paris exposition of 1901.
To fiud something extraordinary. gigan-
tic for the exposition. seems to be the
animating idea of every known French
inventor. Fantastic dreams have also
been stimulated In sober minded individ-
uals, who, hitherto, have not been sus-
rected of having much imagination,
much less OF harboring abnormal de-
signs However, as a Partisan observer
remarks, no harm can come OF It, since
no proposition will be accepted without
rigid examination. and IL may be produc-
tive of good. for the present fermentation
may bring forth some interesting ideas.
And, after all, certain amount of eccen-
tricity is not an unwelcome addition to
an exposittion. What in tho Chicago
World Fair made such an impression as
the Midway Plaisance? And In the last
Paris exposition perhaps the greatest pop
ular SUCCESSES were on the samo order
the little Javanese dancers the Soledad,
etc.
The chief ain seems TO be TO find, bor-
row or steal an idea that will be produc-
tive Of something as original or more
original than the Elffel Tower. 1t is being
said In Paris that such an idea has been
found and that IL is being seriously con-
sidered. The plan Is to transform the
obelisque of the Place dc la Conocrdo into
a sort of giant candlestick by putting an
enormous electric light at its summit In
order Co do this IA hole about tour inches
IN diameter would be drilled through the
whole length of the stone. and through
this would pass the electric wires. This
part Of the ecbeme gives IL the air of
being a canard, the more so as IL Is added
that the whole operation could be achieved
In ten days.
The Partisan press is crying out
againts this proposed desecration OF tho
monolith. more especially as IL sees in