The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-10-29
WTOGETAPATEN
CONSIDERABLE RED TAPE SUR
ROUNDS THE PROCESS

Inst What Ought to lie Done to Pro-
teet the Original Idea United states
Is Very Active in Protecting Rights
of Those Granted Patents.
LOIS OF people think they have IDEAS
worth patenting, but few of them
know how TO go about 1t TO get their
devices patented. There Is a long
line of red tape to be first unraNeled.
In England it Is an easy matter 10
secure a patent, but the laws there are
not nearly so well arranged to protect
the owner of the patent after he mas
been successful. Infringements are
all too and many inventors
have come to this country TO live IN
order to enjoy our more liberal pat
cnt provisions. Germany, conscious OF
the great influence our patent laws
have had In stimulating Industrial IN
ventions. has revised its patent laws
so as TO bestow more protection upon
the inventors. Next to the patent
office of the United States the CORE
spending institution in Germany fur-
nishes the most ample protection to
inventors. and goes farthest In eneour-
aging their work.
One OF the most beneficial features
Of our patent office laws Is that by
which an applicant can practically
pre-empt a claim In advance. When
an idea of a new invention occurs
to one, 1t may not always be possible
to complete 1t Immediately, and work
II out in all its minute details. An
other may have heard IN account Of
the proposed invention and attempt
10 steal the idea. To prevent this The
inventor has the right to secure a
cayeat or caution. upon the payment
Of $40. and the fling of a description
OF the proposed patent. This cayeat Is
filed at the patent Office, and Is kept
confidentially, SO that outsiders can,
not make use of its information. This
claim is In force for a full year. aud
during that time no n else can Sc
cure 4 patent for the same Invention.
There Is further protection afforded
the applicant In permitting him to
modify and alter his caveat II he has
claimed too much or made errors in
his first papers. Such errors are nat
urally costly. and are Justly charged
for by the patent office. A corrected
reissue OF Il cayeat costs $50. But
even this expense In many cases
proves of the utmost benefit to the
claimant.
When the Idea Is perfected the IN
yentor sets forth his application for a
patent as minutely as possible In
writing. which must be filed In the
patent office. A full description OF the
invention must be made. so that any
person could produce a model. When
eve the invention admits. a model
must accompany the application.
When the application. description and
specifications have been completed.
the inventor must attest to It's genu-
ineness and originality. and sign the
document in the presence OF .wo wilt
nesses. The applicant must, moreover,
swear that he knows OF no prior claim
10 the invention, and that. so far as
he is personally aware, no description
of such an invention has ever been
published.
Every applicant can make his claim
personally and defend his rights. but
there are patent lawyers who have
been admitted to practice at the bar OF
the patent office. A list OF these law.
years Is furnished by the patent office
free of cost upon application. Their
business Is to see that applicants
specifications are properly made out,
and later TO appear before the exam.
liners and substantlate the claims and
contest them With any who may nut
In colutcr-claims.
The ordinary cost Of securing a pat
ent IS $50. which the patent office re.
quires in return for passing upon the
claims and issuing patent papers. The
patent Office endeavors to protect an
pllcanis In their selection Of LAWYERS.
and deliberate fraud and ~extortion on
the part OF the Inter might result in
their permanent dlsbarment. When
the specifications aud descriptions are
filed 1t costs the applicant only $l5,
and he may have the question deter.
mined for this fee whether n Patent
can or cannot he granted him The
final $50 must be paid when the pat
ent Is issued.
When the examiners finally pass
upon the patent. q fee OF 500 must
be paid, and some time within six
months the necessary papers VIII be
Issued. The patent Is printed and n
picture of the model autographed. The
papers are signed and sealed, and sent
TO the Secretary OF the Interior 70
sign. Then they are countersigned by
the commissioner OF patents and sent
TO the successful applicant or his law
yer. The patent secures the inventor
for seventeen years In the exclusive
right Of using, making and selling his
invention, and the laws of the United
States protect him In the enjoyment
of these rights.-Collier's Weekly