Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-10-14
HOW TO GET A PATENT
JUST WHAT MUST BE DONE TO
PROTECT A PATENT.
Red Tape to Be Pursued and Fees to
Be Paid to Prevent Piratica1 Usurp-
alton or Unauthorized Use What
Caveats Are For.

k0VeaC9 Are II or
Lots of people think they have ideas
worth patenting, but few Of them know
how to go about it to get their devices
patented. There is long line of red
tape to be first unravelled. A writer in
Golfers Weekly describes briefly, but
instructingly, the frame work Of our
patent system. In England, he says, 1t
Is an easy matter to secure a patent,
but the laws there are not nearly so
we'll arranged to protect the owner of
the patent after he has been success
full. Infringements are all too COM
mon, and many inventors have come
to this country to live in order to en-
joy our more liberal patent provisions.
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, it may not always be possible to
complete it Immediately, and work it
out in all it's minute details. Another
may have heard an account Of the
proposed invention and attempt to
steal the idea. To prevent this, the
inventor has the right to secure Il
caveat or caution, upon the payment of
$1O and the filing of description of
the proposed patent. This caveat is
filed at the patent office, and is kept
confidentially, SO that outsiders can
not make use of it's information. This
claim is in force for a full year, and
during that time no one else can Sc
cure a patent for the same invention.
There is further protection afforded the
applicant in permitting him to modify
and alter his caveat if he has claimed
too much or made errors in his first
papers. Such errors are naturally
costly, and are justly charged for by
the patent office. A corrected reissue
Of a caveat costs $50. But even this
expense in many cases proves of the
utmost benefit to the claimant.
When the idea is perfected, the in
ventor sets forth his application for
patent as infinitely 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 with an ordinary knowl-
edge of the subject could produce a
model. Whenever the invention adj
mits, model must accompany the
application. When the application, de-
scription, and specifications have been
completed, the inventor must attest
to it's genuineness and originality, and
sign the document in the presence Of
two witnesses. The applicant must
moreover swear that he knows of no
prior claim to 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
yers is furnished by the patent office
free Of cost upon application. Their
business is to see that applicants
SPECIFICATIONS are plOPC1Ay hiAOC Jul,
and later on appear before the exam
incrs and substantiate the claims and
contest them with any who may put
in counter 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 ap-
plicants in their selection Of lawyers,
and deliberate fraud and extortion on
the part of the latter might result i'll
their permanent disbarment. When
the specifications and descriptions are
filed, it costs the applicant only $15,
and he may have the question deter
mined for this fee whether a patent
can or not be granted him. The final
$40 must be paid when the patent is
issued.