Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-17
Mr.. BRYAN OPPOSES
CHANGE IN KAHN ACT
Fears It Would Imperil Success Of
the Panama-Pacifie
Exposition.

Any attempt to amend the Kahn act
granting patent and copyright protec-
ton to foreign exhibitors at the San
Francisco exposition, may have the ef1
feet of eliminating representation Of
some foreign countries. according to the
statement of Secretary Bryan of the
State Department. today before the
House patents committee. The committee
was considering the Buckley bill. a sub
stitute measure for the Kahn act. The
Secretary appealed to the committee not
to change the law unless for the gravest
defect. and even then only after weigh
ing the consequences carefully.
1.-The Kahn act is known to foreign
exhibitors and any change would have
the effect of discouraging, If not de-
feating many exhibitors" said the Secre-
tary.
Gravest Defect in Law.
He urged that il defects in the bill
had been discovered they be cured by
administration. Members of the COM
mittee informed the Secretary that the
gravest defect was that foreign ex-
hibitors could obtain for three and a
half years patent rights to articles
otherwise not patentable in the United
States and thus have a right to stop
American manufacture of articles
which had been manufactured here for
years.
'In view of my knowledge obtained
from the representatives of foreign gov
ernments of the risk of explaining to peo-
plies far away and in a foreign language
changes in rights already granted, l beg
of this committee to consider not the
possibilities of the situation, but the
probabilities.
One Country Holding Off.
Chairman oldfeld asked if any govern
ment was hesitatng about accepting an
invitation to be represented at the EXPOSE
ton because of the proposed changes.
"One very important country IS now
Withholding its decision because of this
very point" said Mr.. Bryan.
When told the commissioner of patents
feared the effects of the Kahn act. Mr..
Bryan said he hesitated to set up his
opinion against the commissioners on
the merits of the changes, which he per-
sonally had not examined.
The proposal to amend the Kahn act
led to a heated debate today in the
committee.
The French ambassador, through the
State Department, sent protest against
changing the law on behalf of foreign
manufacturers. Commissioner of Pat
enlS Ewing declared MS pTSueGeSSOT lldu
not adequately considered the Kahn act
in approving it, and SO urged the enact
ment of amendments. He declared the act
would call for American courts to inter-
pref rights conferred by patents of for
eign governments.
Challenged by Mr.. Kahn.
Representative Kahn, author Of the
law, challenged the statement. The
commissioner said that the act intro
duced remedies for infringements, name
ly, Imprisonment and destruction of in
fringing property, which were unknown
in the American patent law.
1.-The first American sent to prison
under the Kahn act will call down
protest against our patent laws that |
don't want to see'' said the commits
sioner. The protest against them is
strong enough now"
Representative Kahn asked if the copy
right law did not give the right to de-
stroy infringing books. Mr.. Ewing de-
clared it did not, but corrected himself
when the California representative read
the law.