The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-03
EDISON TALKSABOUT PATENTS
Advice to Inventors From the Greatest Inventor In the
World.
World.

Copyright, 1897, the S. S. Mcclure Coz
Thomas A. Edison has probably taken
out more patents than any other in
ventor. He owes his fortune and his
fame to some of them, he has lost
greater fortune and greater fame be-
cause he was not able to protect his
rights in others. Naturally his knowl-
edge of patent practice is extended,
and when he talks of invention as a
profession he speaks by the card Many
persons may be surprised to learn that
patenting an invention, however val
liable, is not always considered adVls-
able Some of the most profitable con-
trivances in the world have not been
patented; they have been manipulated
and placed upon the market in such a
manner as to make it Improbable for
any person other than the rlghtfuI
owners to manufacture them. The plan
of procedure in such q case is generally
new in every instance. The existing
conditions determine the mode OF pro-
cedure. Such plan of action is known
as a trade secret. Edison has num-
Der of trade secrets" which he consid-
ers more valuable than would be let
tiers patent on the same device.
THE value of a patent says the in
yentor. 'diminiShes at the ratio at
which it's value increases. That IS to
say, if man gets uD patent on a
wrench, that patent has a real value
and may be profitable, but if he gets
up patent on a system which revOlu-
tonnes things and is of tremendous
value TO the world at large, that patent
is not valuable to the inventor, on ac-
count of the procedure of the court.
THE VATITE OF A TRADE SECRET
In a great many cases outside of me-
chanical things. the trade secret is more
valued as protection than patent
Dishonest persons often can get the in
ner track of an important discovery or
patent and make use of it Illegally
while the inventor may never realize
anything on mis- work, although he may
spend thousands of dollars and continue
the fight for years. Yes, the value to
the inventor of a patent increases just
as its value to the public decreases; the
reward for his services increases with
the lack of value of the patent. There
is less reward than ever for the indus
trious inventor.
"One of my biggest inventions, for
which patents were asked years ago,
has Just been declared mine by law.
Meantime, other men have been and are
using il, and are deriving the financial
benefit all on account OF the Workings
of the patent system. OF course 1 can
sue them. but it will be long time be-
fore 1 can do anything. In short, there
is comparatively little reward for the
inventor of the important machine. A
trade secret is of value in the chemical
line. for there it can be guarded. For
instance. in the case of Bessemer of
Bessemer steel fame. He made his
money by making bronze powder by a
secret process, and kept the secret in
the family for years before it was fin
aIlv given out to the world. AS with the
small patent, the small trade secret
has the advantage in holding the mar
ket and in keeping the-device from be-
ing stolen Get up trivial inventions
of minor importance and they are val
liable"
Mr.. Edison was asked how he would
protect large inventions and what re-
form was necessary in patent office
practice.
THE best way is not to try to invent.
The tendency is to discourage impor-
tant inventions. The prevention of I'M
necessary delay in issuing patents
would make a great change. At pres
ent the man who infringes has every
chance of protecting himself. The in
ventor. finding a competitor manufac-
turing his invention, goes to the patent
office and asks for an injunction. He
says: I have a patent on this or that.