The Washington herald., 1921-01-18
MAKES PLEA FoR INVENTORS.

MAKES PLEA FOR INVENTORS.
To the Editor, The Washington Herald:
] beg TO submit for your consid-
Grafton the following plea Of our
many Of whom have long
been victims, whether Of their ILL
balanced qualities or their chsrac-
teristic incapacity for such cooper
ative effort as that which has Sc
cured for their fellow brain work.
ers. the authors and the msnufac-
turers. the immensely superior pro-
lection afforded as copyright and
trademark
a copyright good for twenty
years, renewable for half NJ its
term. protects a book for fort, two
years, al a cost of 81 %. and NAV IL.
issued on the. day Of application.
A trademark Eood for twenty
years costs $1,000 sr| 's -sncwsbIs
indefinitely at the Same rate. 90 As
TO assure perpetual protection OF
the pTODertv RIGHTS involved. H0yg-
ever valuable.
but a patent is not only many
times as costly and tedious TO nrn-
cure, but is nonrCncwa ana IL
best IL only license 10 60 TO law
when InfTinEed And an frrrSp0rsf-
BILE iufrinEeT. when detected aud en-
Joined in any OF our nine concur
rent judicial II risdictons. can skin
In a night to another. and sur,rs -,
sivelv to all ths CIners. iI tn, Hwi1
OF seventeen wears is enough ~
the entire gauntlet And Dr. ever
cOrnered he Is likely TO prov, d.
BANKRUPT or irresDUnsibI, This
discrimination against inventors nas
no parallel elsewhere and no trace.
Of justice or efficiency. but Is against
all public and private iuter.>t. .A-
cept that OF, some sharks who sA-
plot inventors in the earliest stages
OF their fever Tie rules Of practice
in the Patent Office, notably No. a..
II not actually dictated boy these
sharks. are used for their Urgrecl
tion, SINCE they practically DENY
nonresident inventors the bencnt or
the records themselves. which are
thus monOpolized 10y the pra,t.rIon-
ers in question.
All such rules should be abolished
and the preliminary examination
might, upon request OF invent
Jrs, be mad" 10y the Patent
once clerical force. for vhu.n SEP
vice the present fees CharE,d ny
lawyers would he more than ampl'
Such a change alone would rak. tho
shark out OF the patent business by
confninE the practice TO lawyers
both competent and huDr-J and Do
would relieve the force and tho rec
ords. annually. OF tens OF thousands
Of so-called patents which ar, Nor. e
ly scholastic exercise in verbal
gymnastics. furnishing seed Trr .a-
TIRE cBrps OF ETOtesqu, ana fatotaar
litigation.
And IL svarCely c-ds SAVING that
an infrinEer when caught and ,r-
Joined IN one federal district should
at least give bond for ,arrlrr- rN,
case to a higher court a.. for
royalties. past and future. ~ N
cease all use OF tho invention 'ar-
ada is wears ahead Of do, IIf.d
States IN this particular
Whether or not % Us Tor Ih. n.n-
lie interest TO continue 10 rn, -
iEinal inventor li~ monopUrs ~
nOnuSC through tho iuN f' r- 10
She patent. and without al de-
yclopmenI whatever. % .> rrr-
lainly against. such int, ..s' r0
allow a purchaser who huys '.r tho
very purpose OF suppression. tn r.ru-
tinUe to deprive the public nf IT'S
benefits. Such monopoly or rou-us
should not be transferable 10
spectators. and II Is subject 20
ErieVous abuse
may call your attention 20 rrr
fact that the Pat,nr o@s. Us Ia,
one Of two or three EuH.r0wsnf hu-
reaUS which are Sa'f->auuurT7E.
and that L ID sturu,G Gu TO TIE
Treasury a surplus apD-rNIma1nE
$4,000, 900 which should Un6oUlr-
edly be used for GO ularr~r tho D-g~-
ent inadequate fire trap and nro>srv-
inc the priceless records tr,rr n
stOred.-S T MaCFarrCU