316 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



hitherto been given, the above experiments and observations will not, 

 I trust, be regarded as too late, when it is considered that the real 

 intent of their publication is the correction of error. 



Little Bolton, July 13th 1833. 



PROPOSED MODIFICATION OF THE PATENT LAWS. 



The following paper has been privately circulated ; and at the 

 present time, when the attention of many persons is directed to the 

 law of patents, it may prove interesting to some of our readers. 



Proposed Definition of the Subject Matter of Patents for Inven- 

 tions. — That His Majesty is hereby empowered to grant letters pa- 

 tent, of exclusive privilege, for limited periods of time, as hereinafter 

 provided, to the inventor or inventors, or to the introducer from 

 abroad, of any manufacture, which, at the time of lodging applica- 

 tion for such letters patent, shall be new in the United Kingdom of 

 Great Britain and Ireland; which new manufacture shall consist, 

 either in a new saleable thing made, or in some new means or pro- 

 cess, employed in the working, making, or preparing of a saleable 

 thing: and such letters patent shall confer on such inventor or in- 

 ventors, or on such introducer from abroad, and their executors, 

 administrators, and assigns, the exclusive privilege of making and 

 selling such new manufacture, so far as the same shall consist in 

 a new saleable thing made, and the exclusive privilege of using and 

 practising such new manufacture, so far as the same shall consist in 

 some new means or process, employed in the working, making, or 

 preparing of a saleable thing; always provided, that no such privi- 

 lege shall interfere with any privilege conferred by previously 

 granted letters patent. 



That any manufacture shall be accounted new at the time of ap- 

 plication being lodged for letters patent for the same, when the 

 said manufacture has not been openly made or sold, nor openly 

 used or practised, during the whole, or any part of the fifteen years 

 immediately preceding the lodging of such application; although 

 such manufacture has been openly made or sold, or openly used or 

 practised, prior to the said fifteen years, or although such manufac- 

 ture has been secretly made or sold, or secretly used or practised, 

 during some part of the said fifteen years; always provided, that 

 the said open making or selling, or open using or practising prior to 

 the said fifteen years, or the said secret making or selling, or secret 

 using or practising during some part of the said fifteen years, has 

 been unknown to the person making application for letters patent, 

 at the time of lodging such application, and that the said secret 

 making or selling, or secret using or practising has been abandoned 

 before lodging such application. But no manufacture shall be ac- 

 counted new in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 at the time of application for letters patent for the same being 

 lodged, when the said manufacture has been described, either in 

 some printed publication made in the said United Kingdom, during 

 the thirty years immediately preceding the lodging of such appli- 



