Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-16
EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS
MAY Be PATENTED
Fight Developing in Hearings
on Bill to Prevent lmi-
tating Patterns.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

II NAV be possible within the near
future for the woman of exclusive
tastes to purchase a hat, or dress OF
coat with perfect assurance that she
will not meet a hundred other women
in similar attire the next day-anl
for a man to buy nifty neckte WIN
assurance that his office boy Will not
turn up with the same pattern III
a cheaper material.
These dreams of the exclusive are
within the range of possibility. let 1t
be repeated, but whether their reallZa-
ton is a matter of probability re
mains to be seen.
The House committee on patents Is
engaged in a grapple with a bill to
provide copyright registration of de-
signs, which if enacted by Congress,
undoubtedly would revolutioniZe mer-
chandiSing methods. The committee
will make an effort next week to de-
termine whether il can amend the
measure SO as to overcome the weak
nesses which have been pointed out,
and vet leave something of value.
Cost of Living An Issue.
It appears to be fairly we'll agreed
that the originator of an artistic
design for the purpose of ornamental
lion, as distinct from something with
merely a functional or mechanical
purpose, and which has at least some
element of permanency, is entitled
to the protection of his creation
against copyiStS. But this, frankly.
leads into the element of style and
fashion, where permanency is a
matter of season--and often of
tlays-and great many ladies are
taking "A lively interest in the pending
question with more or less openly
expressed doubt.
And there has been implanted in the
minds of some members of the COM
mittee handling the bill large ques-
ton as to the possible effect of the
rnea sure, if enacted, upon the cost of
living.
4 number of merchants who APP
Deared before the committee at hear
ingS last week were rather confident
that enactment of the bill would re-
suit promptly in increased costs of
commodities to customers. At a pre-
vious hearing, held in February. there
was testimony from some retailers
that such a law actually would reduce
prices.
Design Patent Slow.
There is method of assuring ex-
clusiveness in designs already on the
this Is slow and somewhat costly. For
more than u years those who desire
to see built up in the United States a
great school of original designers have
struggled to get some legislation for
quick and inexpensive registration of
designs. The present bill, with the
suggested amendments, comes more
nearly meeting the views of the vari
Gus conflicting interests than any be-
fore offered in Congress. but admit
tedly the effects of such a law are
matters of speculation.
It Is a bit disconCerting, to say the
least. for a, firm manufacturing silk
goods, for example, to employ a we'll
paid staff to produce attractive de-
signs, only to have it's designs copied
almost as Soon as they are on the
market by a concern producing the
cheapest kind of printed cotton goods
Wall paper manufacturers are in the
same boat; so are stove makers. and
a numberleSS range of industries
which combine the artistic with the
unitarian.
The limitations Of words are illus
trated Strikingly in the effort to devise
design copyright legislation, for while
every single witness who has been
heard during tho present session of
Congress favorS such legislation in
principle it has proved almost impoS-
sible TO define the objects without
opening the doors to matters in which
II is agreed no such rights should
exist.
Seek Self Expression.
The dress pattern companies became
alarmed at this bill and there de-
seconded upon the House committee a
delegation of women who stressed diff
ferent phases of the Importance of
leaving without restraint the right of
a woman to self expression in making
her own dresses. There are 10000, 900
sewing pachines in the homes of the
United States which testify that not
all garments worn by the fair sex
are purchased across the counter
readymade. SO the committee agreed
TO an amendment making clear the
rights of the individual to an individ-
ual pattern.
And the retail merchants have been
appeased to a certain extent by a
proposed amendment which would
require that they be notified of de-
sign copyrights. and that after notice
they might dispose of stocks on hand
or ordered. But as large department
stores carry $4,000 or more different
items, there might be complications if
al or a major part of them were
copyrighted.
In former years. the fight over the
design copyright bill was mainly be-
tween stove manufacturers and man.
ufacturers of stove repair parts. 1t
required Is years to compose their
differences. And now that style and
fashion have come to the forefront
the problem has grown to mammoth
proportions.
Copyright. 1920