Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-10
AMENDING THE LAW
Legal Regulations Governing
the Issue of Patents.
WORK OF ORGANIZATIONS
Changes in Practice and Modifca-
ton Of Procedure.
FINAL APPEAL COURT IN VIEW
Outline of Object and Scope of the
Patent Law Association of
Washington.

Washington.
Changes in the patent laws of the coun-
try, and in the practice in the United
States patent Office. recently discussed
by the Patent Law Association of Wash
ington, have attracted to the organization
the attention of the legal profession. or
that part of 1t which has largely to do
with patents and patent causes.
The Patent Law Association of Wash
ington, as an organization, is unique. Or
ganized seventeen years ago, it has al the
present time about 100 resident members,
and nearly 200 members who are nom
residents of Washington. Its list is made
up of carefully selected members, includ-
ing many of the best known members OF
the legal profession throughout the coun-
try. and the organization is largely rep
resented in Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Chicago, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pitts
burgh, st. Louis, Denver. San Francisco
and other cities and towns in all parts of
the United States
From the beginning the nonresident
membership list has been larger than the
list of resident members. this being done
for definite purpose. j. E., so that the
association should. In effect, be con-
strained to act as local counsel for the
whole patent bar of the country, and for
inventors and manufacturers as well;
method of work which has been evolved
by the association, 1t Is claimed, has
proved to be peculiarly adapted to its
purpose.
Roster of Attorneys and Inventors.
The patent office publishes from time to
time q complete roster of lawyers and
inventors, the list containing several
thousand names. From this roster the
association has selected about 7J0 names.
representing all sections of the country
and known to be men of high standing
and character. Through it's several COM
mittees the association digests pending
legislation and proposed changes in
patent Office practice, and mails these di
gests, in printed form. to the widely
representative correspondents. together
with the arguments for and against each
proposition. Answers to these commune
cations are carefully analysed and con-
densed, discussed by committees, by the
board of managers and finally by the as
ISOLATION as q whole, after which the
association makes its presentation before
the committees OF Congress or to the
patent Office.
AS an indication Of its appreciate of
this method of work the patent section
Of the American Bar Association, at it's
session In Boston last summer. suggested
that the Patent Law Association of Wash
ington present the views of the patent
bar to Congress at this session, and re-
Gently the associate has been brought
into closer relations with the Chicago
Patent Law Association and with the
great technical, scientific and mechanical
societies Of the country.
In its entire plan and scope nothing
has been left undone in the organiza-
ton and administration of the Patent
Law Association of Washington to elimi
nate every possible opportunity for per-
sonal exploitation, and the foresight with
which this has been accomplished Is
peculiarly characteristic of the organiza-
ton and its membership.
Board of Eleven Managers.
The association is controlled and
directed by a board Of managers, con-
sisting of eleven members, these being
the officers Of the organization and addi-
tional members elected for varying terms
The board Of managers elects a stand
ing committee law and rules, COM
mittee on affairs of the patent office. a
library committee and an auditing com
mittee. BY this plan of control it has
been made impossible for any one man
or set of men to impose new schemes
upon the association without submitting
such schemes to the close scrutiny of the
bar.
At a recent meeting of the association
the statement was made that if every me-
chanical device on the earth should be
wiped out at once they could all be re-
designed and replaced by the men pres
ent and that new contracts leases. Ii
censes and grants could be provided and
all questions of priority. novelty or in
fringement, in every art, could be de-
termined by these same men. This state
ment gives an idea of the character of
the associations membership, which en-
braces many graduates of the patent Of
q 10. in, h,.ox, u, Of
mics, science and law.
Pending Patent Legislation.
Since the beginning of the first or spe-
cal session of the present Congress no
fewer than twenty-seven bills have been
introduced looking to modification or
amendment of the patent law. There are
also several bills pertaining to trade
marks and copyrights, a few private bills
for extension Of patents, and one for re-
viver Of an expired patent
These bills cover the filing of extra
drawings with an application; diminuition
Of the time within which applicants must
respond to official action; correction by
the commissioner of patents Actually
granted. and elimination or absorption Of
the board Of examiners-in- chief through
merger with the commissioner and as
sistant commissioners, and direction and
control of such tribunal by the commits
sioner through designation of any three
OF the SIX members to constitute a quor-
UNI In a given case.
The bills cover propositions for compul-
sorry licenses; actual manufacture or
working OF patented devices, machines
processes. etc. as a condition of contin-
uance of the patent TO the end Of its
stated term: taxation of patents and for
feiture of all rights under patents IL any
person owning an interest in or a right
under. or even licensed to use a patented
invention, violate, in any manner, either
the federal or any state law against
trusts. agreements combination in re-
straint of trade this provision also being
made to apply to copyrights.
Court of Final Appeal.
There are likewise several bills looking
to the creation of single court of final
appeal in patent causes. One known as
the American Bar Association bill. con-
templates new and Independent court
OF five members. the presiding justice to
be appointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate and the other men,
bers to be designated by the Chief Jus
tice OF the United States Supreme Court,
| to serve each for q term of six years
and then to return to their original cir
cults. two OF the Justices being appointed
| in the first instance for three years. and
two others for six years, and all desig-
| to serve each for term of six years