The Washington times., 1922-01-02
ENGINEERS To
PUSH REFORMS
IN PATENT LAW
Council Will Use Convention
Here to Urge Passage Of
Lampert Relief Bill.

The American engineering council
Of the Federated American Engineer
ing Societies. which will convene in
Washington Thursday for the annual
two-day meeting. Is planning to uti-
lize the convention to bring pressure
to bear upon Congress for passage
of the Lampert Patent Office relief
bill and to check "disintegration" of
the Patent Office.
The council, which is acting in CO.
operation with other national engi-
neering agencies, Is planning ma
tion-wide campaign to bring about
reforms for the protection of Ameri-
can invention and industry.
In a recent visit of members of
the patent committee of the council
to Congressman Frank w. Mondell.
Republican floor leader, passage Of
the Lampert bill was asked.
Mr.. Mondell refused to accede
to the request on the ground that
the bill for the general reclassifica.
ton OF governmental positions would
take care Of the Patent Office and
that the salaries proposed for the
primary examiners were higher than
those Of other governmental positions
requiring similar services" stated
Edwin J. Prindle. of New York.
chairman Of the patents committee.
today. I'm both Of these respects he
is mistaken"
Salaries Declared Too Low.
Mr.. Prindle declares that. owing to
the low salaries paid examiners,
$4,000 year, designations have been
received steadily until now more
than half the force consists Of young
men fresh from college. who have
been appointed within the last two
and half years and who hsve no
knowledge Of general or patent law"
He states there are more than
twenty positions for examiners un-
filled, and that trained men who IRE
left are called upon to spend much Of
their time in training new men, "only
to have many Of the men resign as
soon as they have become efficient to
60 into the practice Of patent law out
side"
THE process Of disintegration can.
not go much further without the Pat
ent Office becoming stalled, both be-
cause Of loss Of morale and Of its being
swamped with work." he warns. "A
few months more OF this process will
complete its disorganization. 1t would
be fatal to drop the Patent Office re-
lief bill and wait for the reclassifica-
ton bill"
Asks $500 Q Year.
The salaries for primary examiners.
who must be both scientific and legal
experts. is fixed at an absolute mini
mum of $1,000 in the Lampert bill.
The position most analogous to
that of primary examiner is that
Of United States district Judge"
states Mr.. Prindle. THE. examiner
must pass upon validity of the patent
to be granted, as to whether the
alleged invention Is novel. as COM
pared with the prior art. as to
whether the novelty rises to the dig
nifty of an invention.
THE opinion Of the primary ex.
aminer is so respected by the United
States judges that when a defend
ant in an infringement suit contends
that the patent is invalid because
the invention is shown In some
earlier patent, and the record In the
Patent Office shows that the exam
liner considered that particular pat
ent, the judges will not usually dis
turb the examiners finding on the
question.
1.-THE engineers believe that the
salaries proposed for the primary ex
aminers is the very lowest that will
keep any considerable proportion of
the examiners in the Patent Office
and that relief must be given now
II disaster 10 to be averted."