Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18
Waits for His Victim.

Then he waits developments. When
the American merchant comes into the
particular South American country
where the sharper is operating the lat
ter waits until the American has
actually brought his goods into the
country and has begun to sell them.
Then he steps in with his registration
TO the trade mark on the American
goods and threatens the American
merchant with all kinds of things I'M
less he buys him out. The American
merchant learns that 1t will cost him
some $1,000 to send man down there
to fight the case and employ counsel
etc. and that if he fights there will
be considerable delay. What he wants
is quick action in any event. So when
the south american sharper agrees
to sell out for $500 the American
accepts
The Pan-American Union at a meet
ing in Buenos Aires in 1910 drew up
this difficulty and to protect both
Americans and South Americans. This
convention provides for two interna-
tional offices for the registration of
northern group Of countries. and one
in Buenos Aires, for southern group.
Registration in one of these Offices
means simultaneous registration in all
the countries included in the group.
This convention has been ratified by
enough of the countries, less one. in
the northern group to become effective,
and efforts are now being made by per-
sons interested in the matter to have
another country ratify it, so that 1t
can be put into operation. Those coun-
tries which have ratified the conven-
ton so far are Brazil. Cuba, Domni-
can Republic, Guatemala. Honduras,
Nicaragua. Panama, Paraguay and the
United States. But It was pointed out
that even II a sufficient number of
countries ratified this convention to
make effective legislation in
all probability have to be enacted in
this country and the other countries
before the convention could become
operative. entailing much delay.
How to Thwart Sharper.
Mr. Wells suggested that the Amer
lean merchants were going at the mat
ter from the wrong angle. He said
that he thought il the Americans would
only look at the situation in a prac-
teal manner they could soon put the
sharpers out of business
The American merchant must realize
first of ALL said Mr.. Wells. that his
trade mark when he first sends his
goods into a South American republic
means nothing to the people there
They learn first that the goods are
what they want and then begin to as
sociate the trade mark with the goods.
That being the case, he could take a
American countries, and could make
that trade mark just valuable
probably more vaIuable-than he could
make his old American trade mark In
those countries. ] say more valuable
because he could translate the Ameri-
can wording into Spanish. something
that the people of those countries
could understand and pronounce. which
they are not able to do In the case
of many American trade marks
Then where lis the sharper who is
trying to hold up the American mer-
chant? The ground is cut from under
him. for the American merchant can
register his new trade mark when he
decides to send his goods to South
America, and no one will know what
that trade mark is to he until he doe
decide to register il. The sharper who
has put $40 with the hope of pulling
down 1900 or $1,000 finds that he is
out just $40. There is no method which
so quickly corrects abuses of the law
to prove the abuses Improbable
And in short time these sharpers
would be out of business entirely IL the
American merchants would only go at
the matter from that angle
Mr.. Wells explained that II would be
greatly to the advantage of the Amer
lean merchants to have the trade
marks changed anyway into Spanish.
Means Nothing to Latins.
walk Over is a trade mark which
an American firm has used successful
" In the United States and has tried