The Washington herald., 1921-02-20
ENGINEERS UNITE
TOURCE CONGRESS
TO OAIDPATENT JAM
Seek Sweeping Reforms
Here to Aid Industry
And Invention.


Chemical Society and the National
bring about sweeping reforms in the
United States Patent Office. Con-
ditions in the Patent Office, accord
ing to a statement issued by the
council today are such as to menace
seriously. American Industry and in
vention.
Committee Appointed.
A committee on patents has been
appointed by the executive board
Of the council to prosecute a ma
ton wide campaign for the better
ment of the Patent Office situation.
This committee as announced by
President Hoover, is headed by Ed
win J. Prindle, of New York, who
represents the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers on the coun-
Gil. The other members of the COM
mittee are ]. Parke Claiming. New
York, secretary, representing the
American Institute of Mining and
Metallurgical Engineers; Charles A
Terry, of New York, Vice president
OF the Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company, represent
ing the American Institute of Elec-
triCal Engineers; c. A P. Turner,
Minneapolis, American Society OF
Civil Engineers; Corydon T. Purdy.
New York engineer, and Horace V.
Winchell, mining geologist of Min
Leapolis. American Institute OF Min
ing and Metallurgical Engineers; DR..
i. S. Jacobus, vice president of
Wilcox and Babcock Company,
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers, and Frank N. Waterman,
electrical expert. OF New York City,
American Institute of Electrical En-
gineers.
This committee, it is stated, will
work to bring about the passage
of the Nolan bill now pending in
Congress. The council with the ap-
proval OF it's patents committee, it
was announced yesterday, has
adopted this resolution:
Urges Nolan Bill Passage.
American Engineering Council
urges the passage of Bill H. r. 49,
662, known as the Nolan treaty
patent bill, by the present Con-
gress, as a matter greatly needed
for the protection of American in
terests"
The committee through Chairman
that Congress was morally bound
to pass reciprocal legislation and
that it was only just to the allies,
who were fighting our battles until
we got ready, that their inventors
be accorded in this country the pat
ent rights which would have been
at war. The legislation must be
American inventors are to get the
benefit of present laws in foreign
countries. The statement explains:
Under existing treaty provisions
and our law, inventors are given
one year after fIing an application
for patent in their own country
within which to file applications in
the other treaty countries, with the
same legal effect as II they had all
been filed simultaneously. Thus, in
case of a contest with another in
ventOr in one of the countries for
cign to the applicant, or in case
of rejection on the ground of prior
public use to the invention in such
county, the inventor is given the
same beneft of priority as he would
have if all the applications for pat
ent had been filed simultaneously.
Europe Extended Time.
During the war the inventors
in the countries foreign to the
United States were many of them
unable to take advantage Of the
said treaty provisions, because they
were directly or indirectly involved
in the war or because Of expense
or other reasons. and many Amer
lean inventors failed to file applica-
tions for patents abroad, because
they did not know whether the cut
come of the war would make for
eign patents worthless, and they
likewise failed to pay annual taxes
on their patents.
The European countries ex-
tended the time within which ap-
uIications could be filed m coun-
tries foreign to the inventor with
the same effect that it filed sim
ultaneously with his domestic ap-
pIication. but no action has been
taken by our government. The Eu-
ropean governments have received
such applications filed since the war
by our inventors in the expectation
that we would pass reciprocal
legislation, but the committee Is
reliably informed that if we fail to
pass such legislation, all such ap-
plications and payments of fees,
which were made after the usually
permitted periods of delay, will be
invalidated.
There are many more American
owned foreign applications for pat
ents than foreign-owned United
States applications for patents. 1t
would therefore be an advantage to
Americans to be abe to retain the
benefits of the extensions granted
by the European countries.
Aside from the purely business
aspect of the act, there is also a
moral obligation to pass the recip-
rocal legislation which cannot be
lightly disregarded.
Viewed as Compromise.
THE Nolan treaty patent bill was
considered by the Patent Commit
tee, of the House of Representative
after an extensive hearing, at which
there was no opposition to the prin-
ciLle of the bill. although there
were suggestions OF amendments.
The bill is the best compromise that
could be made of all views.
The bill must become a law at
the present session in order 10 give
American inventors the benefit of
the present laws in foreign coun-
pass new laws which would compli-
cate the situation, and 1t is there
fore very important that the pres
ent Congress enact the bill"
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