Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-21


one-sided discrimination against Ameri-
can inventors by foreign countries is
looked upon by Mr.. Currier and his asso-
ciates On the committee and by a great
many members of the House as extremely
harsh.
What Mr.. Currier Says.
In discussing the proposed reform of
the patent law in this respect Mr.. Cur
rier said to Star man today: =.
Under the present Interpretation of
the present United States patent law a
foreigner cam secure a patent in this
country manufacture the patented arti-
In his own. country and export it to this
couptry with the knowledge that no such
article can be put into the market here
in competition with him by a native The
result is that Germany and many other
foreign countries are benefited by the va
riOus industrial and other activities con-
nected with the production of articles pat
ented by foreigners. while on the other
hand citizens of the United States are pre-
vented by the foreign patent laws from
reversing the process. Now l consider
this extremely unfair. particularly so
when it is remembered that foreign coun-
tries do not give our inventors patents IN
less they manufacture the patent article
in the country from which the patent is
secured see no reason why the United
the alta rof any such Complementary I'M
reciprocal arrangement"
1t is expected that the hearing on this
reform proposal viii be largely attended
by Washington patent attorneys, as hard
ly one patent lawyer in this or any other
city is without clients from foreign coun-
tries. and while the proposition is de-
signed to benefit the American inventor
it will undoubtedly be opposed by those
who have business relations with foreign
inventors.
The Copyright Bill.
There was another interesting feature in
connection with the House patent COM
mittee meeting today. that is the prob
ability o. the popular copyright bill intro
duced by Representative Barchfeld of
Pennsylvania receiving favorable report
in the near future. The Barchfeld bill
which has the Endorsement of authors
song writer's. and compOsers-one feature
being designed to prevent musical COM
positions from being reproduced phono-
graphically without the payment of royal
ties-will probably be amended in some
particulars before being presented to the
House.
The bill in its present form is objected
to by some members of the committee on
the ground that If enacted into law it
would permit foreign composers to come
to the United States and have their works
protected against photographic reprOduc-
tons, while 1Oreign countries do not give
the same protection to American authors
and composers. This matter. with respect
to the Barchfeld bill, is in line with the
condition on which Mr. Curriers' commit
tee will hold hearings with respect to the
general patent laws. So it is probable
that when the bill is reported it will con-
tain reciprocity clause providing that
American song writer's and composers
may avail themselves of the United States
copyright laws. for the protection of their
works against photographic reproduction,
but that foreign composers cannot do so
unless their countries reciprocate in their
attitude toward American composers
This amendment, it is thought, will meet
the objections of most of the opponents
of the Barchfeld bill who have heretofore
based their kicks against that measure on
the one-sided and discriminating advan-
tage it would give to foreign composers.
The main idea has been, it is understood
to protect the authors and composers of
America. and 1t is thought that If the bill
is amended so as to do this in a proper
way. permitting the same privilege to
foreigners whose countries reciprOcate,
the bill will meet with favor in the House.
Another little feature of interest can be
mentioned in the same connection. The
monograph people have stated that their
music is from 30 to = per cent from for
eign composers. Consequently 1t was not
thought they would oppose the Barchfeld
amended measure as bitterly as they
have the original Barchfeld bill in the
past.