The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-11-19

alas 0AkSkbAGkb AZ =
CAN PATENT SYSTEM.
The President sent o three.HnaIl
mission abroad 10 study the Swe-
dish cooperatives and In addition
asked his old friend Barney Ba.
ruch 10 gather information on
them during his European visit.
But New Deal economists are
proceeding cautiously before
recommending similar efforts IN
the United States.
The electric light bulb bust.
ness, one Of Che most success.
RuI Of Che Swedish producer 90.
operatives, 10 an illustration Of
the patent difficulty here. When
the Swedish private bulb max.
ers refused 20 cut prices the 90.
ops simply went into the busl.
ness Of their own. The result
was . sweeping slash In prices.
In this country that could not
be done. The reason--patents IN
the hands Of the private COM
panies.
Ways Of overcoming this han.
dicap have secretly been studied
by New Deal insiders. The Science
Advisory Board, headed by Or.
Karl r. Compton, president OF the
Massachusetts Institute OF
Technology, has quietly sent 0
comprehensive study OF the pa
tent situation TO the President.
DR.. Compton's researches LED
him to this conclusion:
Patent Monopoly
"WhaL WAS originally o SELF.
sufficient patent 20 nm indi.
vIdual for II years has developed
Into o patent structure or ~.
Aejnblagc Of patents, giving IN
substantially permanent mons
Opoly In nm advancing nrt ~ an
Industry or u group of industries.
The Qualification Tor the OK.
tonsion IN % democratic country
oil Gn absolute monopoly 10 an
Inventor for ~ years, on the
basis that 10 In o reasonable
reward for his disclosure OF his
invention In lieu Of maintaining
u secret, no longer applies gen.
orally"
From tho Patent Office came
the interesting information that
OF the 100000 patents Issued On.
nually, n very large percentage
20 TO u small group OF firms
which maintain research labora-
tories. Under tho present law,
these concerns cnn prevent anyone
else from making use OF u new
device or process even X they do
not want II themselves.
Detailed plans TO reform OF the
patent system have not yet taken
form, but the experts are work.
Ing toward these detectives:
!. A law providing for for
forfeiture OF patents unless they
are put into use within u req.
sonable length Of time.
q. Unused patents TO be made
available 10 others upon pay.
ment OF q Reasonable" royalty,
the amount TO DO determined
by O government or impartial
scientific body
Disappointed
President Roosevelt received o
handsomely bound and inscribed
volume from the German Minis.
tor OF Finance, and was looking
through II In company with two
OF his secretaries.
"Do I have 20 give this 20 Che
Library OF Congress" he asked, ir
o voice which sounded like o
small boy who felt very much
abused.
NOTE. The President OF the
United States Ia not permitted TO
receive gifts from o foreign gov.
ernment.
Obvious
Secretary Harold iekes IN q DO.
lever In plain talk In private
communications Oh well Oh IN pub.
lic addresses.
Recently On official OF the In.
terror Department put In O 70.
quisition for O special type OF
camera. Because Of the cost OF
the machine tho request had 10
DO passed on BY u number OF
executives.
An the regulation passed from
office TO office o clerk scrubbed
on the margin, "What do you sup.
pose this man wants camera
k0r?"
The document eventually
reached fckes, who affixed his
signature and under the penoiied
notatoin wrote: "To take pictures
with, you damn fool!"
Special SIills
office OF the Special skills DE-
vision OF Under Secretary Rex
Tugweil's Resettlement Adminis-
tratoin looks more like O small
factory than O government bus
reau. Housed IN on old Wares
house, its interior In packed with
lathes, machine saws, easeis and
tool raclsB--instead OF desks, type.
writer's and files.