Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-28
WORKS HARDsHIPs ON
 CONNECTICUT FACTORIES.
Effect of Law Giving Protection for imports for Panama Pacific Exposi- ton.
(special to The Bulletin.l

Special to The Bulletin.)
 Washington, Oct. 27-Protests con- tlnue to reach Washington against the recently enacted law providing for the free importation of articles intended Tor foreign buildings and exhibits at the Panama Pacific exposition.
 It IS now claimed by the Connecticut manufacturers that any of them are liable te criminal prosecution, fine, inn pr1sonment, confscation of property and injunction for continuing to manu- fracture their own product under the terms of this bill
 h order to understand the scope and possibilities of this bill 1t must be re- membered that many foreign govern menus issue patents, trademarks, copy rights, certificates of design registra- tlon' etc. without examination as to novelty, originality or proof of owner snip of the subject matter; therefore under the provisions of this law 1t is not only possible but probable that many exhibits at the exposition will be the subject of foreign projection of some kind, thstanding the same things have been free from all charac- ter of protection in this country for many years
 Can Pirate Connecticut Products
 Again, it is possible for someone to ask some foreign government for cer- tl11cate of protection for the product of
 
 same imported and exhibited at the exposition, secure a certificate under thlS law and say to the manufacturer that they must stop the manufactur- Ing or subject themselves to all the liabilities and penalties provided by the k ahn law.
 lie effect of this law is to vest all f.. .ign governments with the right to grant all kinds of protection within -he United States, or to make effective Wi lin our country the laws governing the sl ant of patents. trademarks, reg istTHtlons, etc, of each country on egrth. and make our own citizens lia- bie to the penalties of this bill for in frin3l-g the alleged rights under the laws of any and all foreign govern n e"ts.
 Plight of a Stamford Concern.
 Within the past week a manufactur- ing concern located in Stamford, upon making application in a South Ameri- can country for the registration of their trademark. learned that the same had been pirated by a concern in the capital city of that country and the Stamford company are barred from selling their product in that country except through this one firm, and un- der the Kahn law there is nothing to hinder this foreign firm from filing a certificate with the branch patent of flee which this bill establishes at the exposition and preventing the Stam- ford company from manufacturing their own goods
 Under this law goods imported from foreign countries for our markets in the regular order of business may be prohibited from sale and merchants innocently handling them fined and inn prisoned and the property confiscated because such goods are the subject of protection under the laws of some for eign country.
 Confusion in Patent Situation.
 This new law will throw the patent and trademark situation into great confusion and do untold injury to the owners of American patents. trade marks and design property as well as manufacturers of articles which any one is now free to make. It will also afford opportunity for unScrupulOus persons to harrass and blackmail repu- table manufacturers and merchants in numerous ways.