The herald., 1897-10-07
DRIVING OUT THE BLACK SHEEP

DRIVING OUT THE BLACK SHEEP
The Scientific American October y
mentions the disbarment of firm of
patent lawyers of Washington, D. c., as
the result of Investigations by the COM
missioner of patents. The decision has
been approved by Commissioner Butter
worth, and now awaits the action of the
secretary of the interior. In view Of the
extensive and devious means resorted
to by the disbarred firm to obtain prac
tice, and of the fact that almost the whole
brotherhood of inventors throughout the
country has been more or less victimizei
by their practices, the decision in ques-
ton becomes of interest 20 the general
public. That the disbarred firm reaped
a golden harvest goes without saying
The following sentence from the commits
soner's decision is sufficiently indica
tive of that as we'll as of the moral quail
ity Of the act by which it was attained.
Out of thirty-three thousand inven-
tions on which searches were made by
the respondents in two years, over
twenty thousand were reinven-
tions of what was already old.
The modus operandi of this species Of
MIN ble- witted gentry consisted of ex-
tensve advertising and direct personal
correspondence. These men were op-
timists of the most pronounced type
wherever a patent for an invention was
desired to be obtained. They promised
to obtain patents almost ad libitum and
as matter of course. but the promise
precedent fee. They knew all the Sc
crets of the patent office. They Wanted
an Idea" only of a new invention, rosily
insnuating that it would mature in their
hands into a perfected machine. AT any
rate, their correspondence was requested
10 forward the Idea" to their address
at Washington. Their scheme embraced
the systematic publication, to use the
commissioners words, of that half
truth that is in it's effect worse than a
falsehood."
Nearly everybody has, at some time
received letters from this Washington
firm of patent lawyers, giving instruc-
tons as to "How to Get a Patent" and
suggesting how delightfully."- easy it wa9
for that particular firm to obtain the de-
sired letters. To impress their CORES
pondents with the proportions of tbs
aching void existing in the patent office
these enterprising gentlemen headlined
their pamphlets with the allurng words
"One Thousand Inven tons Wanted"
The public were specially advised, too Of
| the value of simple inventions. In their
pamphlet Prizes on Patents" they
state:
| 1t is not the great. complex and ex-
| pensive inventions that bring the best
results to their authors. but the little,
simple and cheap ones.
! Referring to this suggestio-falsi ar
! gument, this tempting statement of
half truth" the commissioners Ian
|
1t is true that some small inventions.
| which have required little thought and
little knowledge OF the prior art on the
part of The inventor have proved of
| value. 1t is equally true, no doubt that
| in lotteries some one for trifing out
| lay has won large prize. Yet the ef-
| feet of lotteries is recognized as de-
| moralizing to degree. To endeavor to
impress upon the public the idea that
any one, without experience in the art,
without knowledge of what is claimed
! in the art, without study and thought
and experiment, can evolve inventions
of value, is as demoralizing as the idea
so strenuously insisted on by lottery
agents that any one who buys a ticket
may win the great prize.
An examination of their papers ant
correspondence disclosed the astute bu
nefarious tactics by which these meI
built up lucrative practice. Many Of
their victims were inexperienced anc
credulous country people, to misle az
whom, the commissioner rightly says
was grossly deceptive and demoralizing
One of their schemes of deception is re.
ferred to in. the decision:
When the supposed inventor failed
to reply promptly Ito their first letter.
the respondents have in many in
stances, as shown by the evidence and
admitted in the stipulation signed by
counsel. sent him an undated circular
offering to advise him free of charge
as to patentabil!ty and STABILITY of
any device he might have. Those who
took advantage of this apparently lib
eral offer. received in reply a letter
containing information which, in so far
as 1t was not positively false and mis-
leading, was such advice as could very