Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-18
PLANS TO REFORM.
j. s. PATENT LAWS
Radical Changes Provided in
OIdfieId Bill, Now Before
the House.
Author, in Statement, Says 1t
Is Intended to Break Up
Patent Monopo|ies.

Recommending radical changes In
patent laws. the Oldfield bill has been
reported to the House. and a written
report on the measure will be made by
Chairman Oldfield of the House COM
mittee on patents within few days.
The measure is of wide interest, not
only to patent office experts and attor-
neys in Washington. but to large
manufacturing concerns throughout
the country. The bill cuts the ground
from under the feet of many large
manufacturers who have accumulated
controlling interest in a large number
Of patents, and probably will be fought
bitterly II the measure ever comes to
debate in the House or Senate.
0ldfield Explains Bill.
A statement on the bill by Chairman
Oldfield Is as follows:
The first section Of the bill seeks to
amend the patent laws ia such a way
as to prevent persons holding applica-
tions for patent in the United States
patent office Indefinitely by providing
that every patent shall run nineteen
years from the date of fling Of the ap-
plication, and in no case shall the term
Of the patent be longer than seventeen
years. the time fixed by the present
law. This provision requires that appli-
cants shall complete their r<applica tions
and bring their cases to issue in two
years from the date of fling of the ap-
plication. Heretofore it has been posi-
BILE to maintain applications in the
patent office for an unlimited time and
prevent their issue for an indefinite
period. This practice has been followed
oy a NUMBER OF large corporations and
trusts In the country, and there are ap-
pllcatfons now pending in the patent
ONCE that have been there all the way
from fifteen to thirty years.
THE second section of the bill pro-
vldes that no action for infringeme mt
OF patent rights will lie when re-
taller OF patented article cuts the
price fixed on same by the manufac-
turer. rms section also has a clause
which seeks to correct the evil laid
down by the Supreme Court in the
Dick" mimeograph case. In this case
the court decided that the manufacturers
OF the Dick" mimeograph could under
the patent laws compel the purcha sers
of their machines to obtain the SUP
plies used on same from them only,
and this included all unpatented arti,
cles. such as ink. paper. etc. This con-
struction of the patent laws, carried
to its logical conclusion. would enable
every manufacturer of patented arti-
Gle or. patented machine. and there are
thousands of them. running all the way
from fountain pens and talking ma
chimes to- harvesting machines, to COM
pei the users OF these machines to buy
all supplies of whatsoever nature used
in connection Herewith from the man
ufacturers of the same and at the
manufacturers own prices.
Compels Use of Patents.
Section three of the 'Oldfeld bill'
provides for compulsory license
clause in the patent statutes which will
prevent the heretofore very common
practice of trusts and corpora tions
operating under patents locking up
their patents. This clause provides that
when any person or corporation ac-
qufres patent for the purpose or with
an application may be made to the fed
eral court having Jurisdiction for a
license to Manufacture the suppressed
patent Any individual interested may
take advantage of this provision and
OBTAIN incense to manufacture any
purpose O. suppressing competition.
Ihls section. however, is designed not
TO anect the original inventor unless
ne mas entered into a contract to sup
press MS invention. Some of the larg-
est trusts OF the country are founded
have been able heretofore to exercise
Tree hand In acquiring and suppress
ing competitive. patents. This practice
mas peen followed by the large manu-
iacturing corporations of the United
states TO such an extent that today we
find a single corporation controlling
more than seven thousand patents and
competition in it's field practically sup
pressed. This condition is true of a
great number of larger or smaller cor
poratlons and the public is paying ex-
oroiIant prices for their products as a