The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-16
STATUS OF GERMAN PATENTS.
They May Be Placed at the Disposal
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STATUS OF GERMAN PATENTS.
They May BE Placed at the Disposal
/ of Americans.
Literary Digest: American manu-
facturers would profit IL our govern
ment, being at war with Germany
would put at their disposal German
| inventions patented here. 1t is not
confiscation or cancellation of Ger
man patents that is being suggested,
! but putting them at the disposal If
Americans by legislation permitting
their use with due payment of royal
! lies to German patentless after the
war. Albert E. Parker, an interla-
tional patent lawyer. points out in
| the New York Times that so far
only Russian patents have been can
celled by Germany, this being in
reply to similar action by Russia.
Germany has little to gain and much
1 to lose, says Mr. Parker, by setting
an example of confiscating patents,
| because the laws of this country en-
able Germans to refuse to allow their
| inventions to be produced here, while
| American patentees cannot prevent
their inventions being put out in
Germany. He goes on:
For instance, Germans have pat
ented hundreds Of processes for
manufacturing dyes and drugs in this
country, but do not generally permit
the use Of these processes in this
country, while Americans cannot for
bid the use of their German patents,
If Germans obtain licenses from the
German government and pay royal
ties. 1t ais against the interests Of
Germany to have the status OF pat
ents impaired, because Of the great
value and numb Der of patents held by
Germans in other countries.
s'Vast benefits will be gained by
American manufacturers If the Unit
ed States should follow the example
OF Great Britain, France and other
ally countries in putting German pat
ents at the disposal of Americans by
legislation requiring the payment of
fair royalties to German patentees
at the end of the war.
THE allies, particularly Great
Britain. have gained advantage over
the United States in developing dye
and other industries which before the
war were largely in Germany's hands.
Being at peace with Germany, the
United States has been Obliged to
respect patents held by Germans,
England, however, soon after the war
began, extended her licensing sys-
tenn so that English manufacturers
could use German patents and de-
posit the royalties with a patent
clearing house.
England. therefore, has used
patented German processes for max
ing dyes and other products. while
those processes were not available in
America. 1t is probable that the
United States will take similar steps.
Licensing OF German patents to
British manufacturers will continue
after the war. under the announced
policy Of the British governm ent. To
encourage British manufacturers to
produce things formerly obtained
from Germany, 1t was necessary to
safeguard capital invested, and the
British licensees were assured that
they should use German patents on
royalty basis for the life of the
patent.
Americas entrance into the war
gives this country an opportunity to
become partner of the allies in the
commercial war which may follow
the conflict. At the conference of !
the allies to insure close commercial !;
cooperation after the war, 1t was
provided that they should adopt uni. |
form patent laws, favoring each |
other ate the expense of other beIIie- |
erents and neptrals.
While the United States NAV not I
enter such an arrangement on the /
same terms as the other allies. It Ia
pretty sure that this agreement will /
not be used to injure the interests of
the United States.
ITO show how little Germany
should incline to disturb the inter
status of patents, it is suff-
cient to point to the British records.
which show that the Krupps in 1915
made thirry-eight applications for
patents, all for military and naval In
ventfons. These applications included
distant controlling apparatus for tor
pedoes. gun-carriages, parachutes.
machines, optical appa.
ratus, electrical devices, ordnance
sights, gun-sights. projectile.timine
and new types of ord
nance.
ut is probable that no German 1
invention was thus revealed
20 England through application for
patent unless it was known that the
English had already obtained the
secret. In 1916, however, Krupps'
suddenly dropped to
.wo, rs II there had been a sharp
move for greater strictness in keep I,
ng German military secretsn !,