Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-06-14
u. S. PATENT SYSTEM "BEST IN
THE WORLD

correspondence)-The United States
patent system is the best in the
world In fact the system was de-
vised here and has been copied by
most of the leading nations of other
continents. The United States has
done more than any other nation to
encourage inventive genius, and, as
a result this country has taken the
lead in useful inventions, particular
ly in mechanics. The United States
has granted more patents than any
other nation, and it might almost be
said that it has granted more patents
than all other nations combined.
The distinctive feature of the A.
merican patent system is that it pro-
vides for examination before issu-
ance of patent, so that patent will
not be issued unless the divice is act
uaily new, and patent thus secur-
ed constitutes prima facie evidence
of the prior rights Of the inventor.
The burden of proof is upon a con-
testant. Under previous systems
there was no examination prior to
issuance of patent, and a patent had
little actual value.
The basis of our economic society
is industrial in nature in the sense
that the bulk of the civilized worlds
work that was once performed by
manual processes is now executed
through machinery and mechanical
methods. The vast production that
the world now requires for it's neces-
sites, its comfort and it's safety is
mainly the result of invention. The
Patent Office is the official instru-
mentality designed, by the protective
reward it grants, to stimulate the
spirit of invention and to encourage
industries by promoting its exercises.
Invention has been the magic wand
by which production has been in
creased and hours of labor reduced
Progress based on inventions is the
only effective method by which So
ciety as a whole can enjoy ampler
leisure and still possess a larger
measure of the worlds goods.
There is no industry in the coun-
try not affected by the patent sys-
temtem. In fact, whole industries
are often initiated and founded on
the grant of a patent. In stances of
this may be seen in the tremendous
amount of capital employed in the
manufacture of the sewing machine,
as well as the army of employees en-
gagged in selling them; in the manu-
facture of agricultural implements
the harvester, reaper and binder;
the modern newspaper presses; the
linotype machine; shoe machinery;
the air brakes for railway cars; the
telephone system, the result of one
basic patent upon which one COM
pany alone now has about 81 900, 1000
600 of invested capital and employs
an army of employees amounting to
ONCl 6OOyOOO IuCll anu WOIilcIl, IIG
photograph industry, with selling
agencies in every town in the coun-
try the electdical industry, with all
of it's ramification; and numerous
others, whose original start depend
ed entirely upon the patent monopoly
In the Patent Office is gathered a
vast store of knowledge in scientific
books and magazines, as we'll as in
patents of all countries of the world
including over million and half
patents granted in this country a.
lone. All these sources of informa-
ton are care fully classified by sub
jectmatter and kept freely accessible
to the public, so that any member
of it, any inventor, manufacturer, or
his attorney, may there search and
learn substantially all that is known