New Britain herald., 1925-04-11
< VITAL lSSIE F. OVER PATENT RIGHTS.

lIle 1IuleClIOl pL Jlh IhA | Lpp~ ! erty. American delegates will pro pose reputable and equal treatment of patentees of all countries" and the American effort. if not success full at the convention, will have re- course in complete revision of the patent laws of the United States" Domestic legislation which will have an important bearing upon the fu- ture industrial development of the United States, is believed likely if the | international convention fails to meet | the American view.
 As seven- -eighths of the industrial l enterprises in the United States de- pend directly or indirectly upon pat ents or had their origin In patented inventions, the outlook is one which American industry is justified in viewing with much interest and con- cern.
 n The United States is unique among industrial nations in granting ex- elusive monopoly rights to patentees,
 without conditions during the life | of patents. These rights are cXtend-
 ed to American patentees and for
 eign holders of American patents
 without discrimination. The rights
 include the privilege of withholding
 patent from use, as well as the
 right to Its exclusive use, or manu-
 facture.
 All other industrial nations have
 working or licensing clauses in their
 patent laws requiring that every pat ent granted be either employed | that is, be not withheld from use by the owner-or be licensed for use by others within limited period. These clauses apply to foreign patent own CTS - including Americans--as well as native patent owners.
 The object of the foreign patent laws is to prevent the suppression of , patents, "to stimulate and protect domestic industrial activity" and "to . add to the capital wealth of the na- = ton granting the patent" r The American system gives to tht e owner of a patent the right to ex h ploit 1t or suppress it at will; it i' - his own property and he can do witl r 1t what he desires. The foreign sys y tenn is to force the employment 0
 all patented devices.
 st The American system has give '- fullest possible benefits to the inven IS tor, thus stimulating him, even a of the cost of initial disadvantage | le the public through the exercise c
 monopoly rights, Foreign patent sys
 tems on the other hand, hay
 sought to provide immediate advan
 tages to the public at the expcns, H. in many instances, Of the inventor C h. holder of the invention.
 at The international patent treaty, ,g which all industrial nations adher ut requires each state 10 extend Il ly same rights to foreign patentccs { IT, those extended to its own patentee if The result is that foreign patel it. tees enjoy maximum advantages
 the United States. while America is patcntees receive the minimum fo as eign advantages in foreign nation Under the American patent sy n- tem foreign holders of basic patcn
 may monopoize the American ma .n- ket, to the exclusion of domcst ort manufacturers. and can manufactu his their products for consumption is the United States exclusively with liz their own countries.
 sed finder the foreign patent systcn s a however, American patentees s 1p- compelled. within d limited peri,
 is 10 establish plants or license th ble patents for use in foreign tountri inc Tho result naturally is that Anne
 can patcntecs contribute to the nth dustriaI activity and development hat those countries at the expense Of ,ry United States.
 hat Some foreign nations havc imp by- prohibitions of patented artiC life which have ben patented in th ain. countries. The United statos had never had an importation restrictt P is In many foreign countries par ,op. are spscialiy taxed, the taxes
 crea5ing throughout the life of
 pa;ont. The United States has nc
 had tax on patents,
 Foreign patent laws, with the the ception of Belgium, also extend { have ing a shorter period than the An ,orts ican period of r years.
 ame The nominal cost of taking nded patents in America has cna gain. every worthwhile forrlsn iavento fnd ,rnlI ns A1nariran to take them