The Washington herald., 1909-08-20
INVENTORS SCORE
The PATENT OFFICE
New Organization Makes Bit
ter Complaints.
GROSS INEFFICIENCY CHARGED
Second Meeting of Pntentees' So
ciety Marked by Scathing Attacks
Upon the Patent Laws, the Off
ciaIs, and the BuiIding-Speakers
Say Protection Is Inadequate.

The second meeting OF the Inventors
Protective Association, organized August
5, was held last night at Eagles Hall
Committees were chosen for the purpose
Of drafting a constitution and bylaws for
the society. and 10 consider the question
OF procuring a large haIl Tor later meet
inss. over I0O persons. including many
women, nearly all inventors We're pres
ent William P. Armstrong was elected
temporary chairman and ]. J. O'Brien
temporary secretary.
Mr.. Armstrong said that the purpose
OF the society would be not only the as
sisting Of inventors. but the Improvement
OF the patent system.
There is a national demand" he said.
for a new Patent Office. The present
one IS inadequate. Il is cOngested and
Inefficient Patent laws to-day are very
poor. Practically any one can obtain a
ratent for any sort Of invention. and
The patent Is no good until tested IN
court Patent laws should be fnaI and
after a patent IS granted there should Be
no litigation possible The patent ex-
aminers are noe efficient or careful. as
can be easily proven by the facts in the
case.
Project IndOrsed.
'The project Of building a new Patent
Office and Of reforming the system has
been indorsed by different patent com
missioners. particularly Commissioner
Moore. There is now over 100000 OF
patent fees that could be used for this
purpose II Congress would consent A
bin IS now pending which. II passed,
would accomplish this. and the associa-
ton is going 20 urge its passage at the
next session Of Congress-"
J. J. O'Brien, secretary. said that the
association intended 10 do away with the
faulty legal procedure which attends
patent litigation to-day.
There is" he said hardly any class
OF litigants who receive so littel salts
faction as patentees. and the cost and
delays OF patent litigation are ridiculous.
For an inventor 10 collect damages
for infringements on his patent Is rare.
Protection to-day is thrown about the in
fringer rather than the inventor, since
the severest punishment that can be
given an infringer is the stopping Of
further infringement on his part. II is
one of the main purposes Of the Inven-
tons Protective Association 10 remedy
this great evil. The United States gov
ernment should look after and punish
at its own expense the infringements OF
patents.
Many Defects Charged.
There is defect after defect in the
present patent system which the asso-
citation intends to do away with II pos
sible
In the first place Il Is generally sup
posed that TO obtain a patent the in
vnetor has 10 put up S65. Investigation
shows that a conservative estimate of the
ccst Of a patent. places it at $50. This
price is outrageous, and excludes many
Inventors from patenting their ideas. II
iaciudes government and attorney fees.
Again. inventors. for the most part, are
handicapped by ignorance OF patent
methods. and fake patent statesmen are
continually reaping a rich harvest. Cor
porations, too, are continually cheating
inventors OF their rights.
The committee appointed to draft con-
stitution and bylaws for the association
consisted Of w. p Armstrong. chairman;
]. J. O'Brien, secretary; DR.. c. A. Willis,
Edward Stephens, ]. r. Kelley, and Rev.
]. Williams The committee for the pur-
pose Of obtaining hall for later meetings
consisted Of George Payne, chairman;
J. II. Schenck, and T. w. Eversole.
The next meeting will be held on
Thursday night, September 2 the plan TO
he announced later