Evening star., 1914-07-18
PLANS TO REFORM
j. S. PATENTLAWS
Radical Changes Provided in
OIdfieId Bill, Now Before
the House.

Recommending radical changes in
patent laws. the Oldheld bill has been
reported to the House. and a written
report on the measure will be made by
Chairman Oldfeld of the House COM
mittee on patents within a 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 if the measure ever comes to
debate in the House or Senate.
oldfeld Explains Bill.
A statement on the bill by Chairman
Oldfeld is as follows:
The first section of the bill seeks to
amend the patent laws in such a way
as to prevent persons holding applica-
ttoDs for patent in the United States
patent office indefinitely by providing
that every patent shall run nineteen
years from the date of filing of the ap-
of the patent be longer than seventeen
years, the time fixed by the present
law. This provision requires that applf-
cants shall complete their applications
years from the date of fling of the ap-
plication. Heretofore it has been possi-
bic to maintain applications in the
patent office for an unlimited time and
prevent their issue for an indefinite
period. This practice has been followed
by number of large corporations and
trusts in the country. and there are ap-
piicattons now pending in the patent
office that have been there all the way
from fifteen to thirty years.
The second section of the bill pro-
vides that no action for infringeme mt
OF patent rights will lie when a re-
taller of a patented article cuts the
price fixed on same by the manufac-
turer. This 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 purchasers
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 it's logical conclusion, would enable
every manufacturer Of a 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 a compulsory license
clause in the patent statutes which will
prevent the heretofore very common
practice OF trusts and corporations
operating under patents locking up
their patents. This clause provides that
when any person or corporation ac-
quires a patent for the purpose or with
the result of suppressing competition
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 license to manufacture any
patent withheld from the public for the
purpose o. suppressing competition.
This section, however. is designed not
to affect the original inventor unless
ne has entered into contract to sup
press his invention. Some of the larg-
est trusts Of the country are founded
almost wholly on patents and they
have been able heretofore to exercise
a free hand in acquiring and suppress
ing competitive patents This practice
has been followed by the large manu-
featuring corporations of the United
States to such an extent that today we
find single corporation controlling
more than seven thousand patents and
competition in its field practically sup
pressed. This condition Is true of a
great number Of larger or smaller cor
porations and the public Is paying ex-
orbitant prices for their products as a
result"