Evening star., 1935-04-23

President Roosevelts Science Ad-
visory Board, headed by DR.. Karl T.
Compton, president of the Massa-
chusetts Institute Of Technology, has
submitted to Secretary of Commerce
Roper proposals for a new deal" for
the Patent Office.
These proposals are described by
DR.. Compton, in communication to
this weeks issue of Science, as q
partial answer" to an extremely
complicated patent situation which
may be vital factor in national re-
covery. One way out Of the depres-
sion, DR.. Compton points out, is the
establishment Of new industries based
upon inventions and improvements
For this a nursing period is required
until the industry can get fair start.
Above all, it is entitled to assurance
of protection of its patent rights in
the article it sets out to manufacture
and it was for this purpose, as well
as for the encouragement of inven-
tion, that the Patent Office originally
was established.
Through wide consultation and
correspondence" DR.. Compton says,
"a consensus has been found in sup
port Of certain remedies, and these
soon will be submitted to the Secre-
tary Of Commerce. He gives no
hint Of the changes proposed.
Writes DR.. Compton: The load on
the Patent Offlce from the enormous
number Of applications to patent all
things from the trivial to the i'm
portant is such that adequate exam
ination Of priority Is impossible. The
assurance of a patent does not carry
with it the proper validity, and I am
told that 65 per cent of all patents
which come up for litigation are de-
clared invalid by the courts. The
situation has become so bad that 1t
is said that patent is simply an
invitation to sue.
1.-THE second difficulty is because of
the time, expense and doubtful OUT
come of patent litigation. The ex-
pense Is so great that large organiza-
tions seriously question whether their
research organizations are an eco
nomic gain or loss. Others are avoid
ing patents and seeking security in
secrecy.
1.-THE third difficulty is the COM
plexity of modern inventions whereby
single product may involve a large
number of different patents held by
different individuals. If any one of
these individuals refuses to grant a
license under his patent he may en-
tirely block the production of the
product. 1t is this situation which
has forced organizations to secure
complex patent monopolies, which are
not looked upon with favor by the
courts. The situation is well-nigh i'm
possible under present circumstances -
Nonetheless, Or. Compton sees science
and invention as Offering one of the
roads out of the depression and urges
that the Government pay more atten-
tion to it.
''It Is disheartening to note" he
says, "that our country, with all its
boasted progress, has paid less atten-
tion to science, as q means Of COM
batting our present difilculties, than
any of the other great powers. Russia
is centering its whole economic pro-
gram on science. Under the Academy
Of Sciences, founded by Peter the
Great, have been established more
than 200 great research institutions
for work in pure science and engineer
ing. The annual appropriations for
these Institutes are reported to be
larger than any other in the budget,
even the military and defense item.
Many of the laboratories rank among
the best equipped in the world and
at present, although short of trained
workers, are producing first-class re-
suits.
Great Britain appropriates about a
million pounds annually for research
and has called her leading scientific
men to advise her privy council