26o 



NATURE 



[November 4, 1915 



(&) Investigations with the object of effecting some 

 modifications in the details of an existing process 

 whereby it shall become technically and commercially 

 more ef!icient. 



(c) Investigations with the object of converting a 

 scientific discovery (or results which may be predicated 

 from research in pure science) into a useful scientific 

 invention. 



(4) Whilst all the above three classes of research 

 are, or should be, essential features in any organised 

 scheme for the benefit of trade and industry, the 

 third class is undoubtedly, not only the most important 

 of all, but also the one which presents the greatest 

 executive diflficulties in procedure, and unless at the 

 outset these difficulties are both clearly recognised 

 and equitably met, the complete success of the scheme 

 will be seriously jeopardised. 



(5) It ought to be recognised in principle that an 

 individual scientific investigator who may seek or 

 obtain assistance from the central national research 

 fund should be accorded the fullest credit and protec- 

 tion for the ideas which he may disclose, as also direct 

 personal access (without having to invoke the aid or 

 interest of some intermediary person or association) 

 to the Advisory Council or Committee (or persons 

 representing them) administering the fund. Further- 

 more, if the ideas or discoveries disclosed by him are 

 deemed important and worthy of support, as likely 

 to result in a useful invention, not only should the 

 further investigation of the matter be entrusted to 

 his unhampered direction, but also, in the event of 

 such further investigation under his direction ulti- 

 mately resulting in a useful invention, his rights and 

 interests in the commercial results of such invention 

 should be equitably provided for and ensured. 



To the objection which may be made that the 

 acceptance by a scientific worker of assistance from 

 a public fund for the development of his ideas or 

 discoveries implies forfeiture on his part of any 

 pecuniary advantage which would otherwise accrue to 

 him, it may be replied that a scientific worker ought 

 not to be put into a worse position in regard to the 

 development of his discoveries, merely because he is 

 financially assisted by the State, than he would have 

 been had he been financed privately. It is a just and 

 necessary principle in the development of inventions, 

 no matter whether such development is financed by the 

 State or by some private person or syndicate, that 

 the inventor qua inventor is as much entitled in equity 

 to a reasonable interest in the commercial results of 

 his ideas as is the financial power that he may invoke, 

 and unless such principle is conceded at the outset 

 in connection with the Government scheme, it will 

 never attract, or be invoked by, the scientific inventor 

 for the development of his ideas. In short, invention 

 and discovery, being essentially '' individualistic " pro- 

 ducts, cannot flourish or be fully developed on a 

 " socialistic " basis ; and in every State-aided scheme 

 there lurks the socialistic danger. 



(6) If the above principle be conceded, there are 

 doubtless formidable difficulties in carrying it out. 

 Thus, for instance, it will be necessary to provide 

 that the communication of an idea or dis- 

 covery of an individual or group of individual 

 scientific workers to an Advisory Board must 

 not merely be confidential, but shall also confer 

 the same sort of provisional protection which the 

 lodging of a provisional specification at the Patent 

 Office now confers. In the second place, should the 

 further State-aided investigation of the matter result 

 in a useful invention, not only ought the resources of 

 the British Patent Office to be placed freely at the 

 disposal of the inventor for the adequate protection 

 of his invention, but also steps would have to be taken 



NO. 2401, VOL. 96] 



to ensure the same protection in all important foreign 

 countries. For unless this were done, foreign manu- 

 facturers and countries would reap the reward of 

 British scientific invention financed by the British 

 taxpayer, without having to pay so much as a single 

 halfpenny by way of royalties to the British people, 

 and Great Britain would for ever sacrifice a most 

 fruitful source of "invisible exports" in the shape 

 of " British inventions." 



Moreover, it might easily happen that an idea or 

 invention originating in Britain, under a Government 

 scheme without due safeguards, might be freely im- 

 ported into Germany, and through German sources 

 be patented in other countries for the benefit of Ger- 

 many ; such things have happened in the past under 

 the existing patent laws, and will happen all the more 

 in future, if the new scheme does not fully protect 

 British scientific inventions. There thus lurks in the new 

 scheme the serious danger of its proving an instru- 

 ment and organisation whereby British brains and 

 capital will be exploited largely for the benefit of the 

 foreigner, and whilst such danger may perhaps be 

 minimised by wise foresight, it is inherent In the 

 scheme, and it is difficult to see how it can be entirely 

 eliminated. 



(7) The foregoing considerations do not, of course, 

 apply to, the first of the three classes of investigations 

 cited in section 3 hereof, but unless they are frankly 

 recognised and fully met at the outset, the utility 

 of the scheme in regard to the important third class 

 of investigation will be nullified. 



The above suggestions are offered as an individual 

 expression of opinion, which is the outcome of the 

 writer's experience in connection with the develop- 

 ment of his own inventions, in the hope that the final 

 scheme will be so framed and safeguarded, in the 

 common interests both of scientific invention and of 

 the British public, that it may be of the utmost benefit 

 to all concerned. William A. Bone. 



Imperial College of Science and Technology, 

 London, November 2. 



Science in National Affairs. 



While the leading article in Nature of October 21 

 under the above title must rneet with general approval 

 on the part of men of science, there are one or two 

 remarks to which I feel it my duty to direct attention 

 in the interest of science at the present time, so far 

 as it appears to me. 



The " Scheme for the Organisation and Develop- 

 ment of Scientific and Industrial Research," as issued 

 in a White Paper by the Board of Education, should be 

 carefully considered by us all. I may say that there 

 is very good reason to believe that the gentlemen 

 named in the article in Nature, Mr. Arthur Hender- 

 son, Sir A. Selby-Bigge, and Dr. H. F. Heath, 

 although their chief interests may be in "other fields 

 than those of science," are nevertheless sincerely 

 desirous of improvement in the position of scientific- 

 research in this country. If this is so, it is surely our 

 duty, as well as interest, as men of science, to assist 

 so far as we possibly can in what is undoubtedly a new- 

 opportunity. There is no doubt that the administra- 

 tive chairman, Sir Wm. M'Cormick, will gladly wel- 

 come suggestions made with the intention of helping 

 the scheme. 



I would point out that the Advisory Council, which 

 has the control of the way in which money is to be 

 spent, consists entirely, with the exception of the chair- 

 man above named, of well-known and honoured men 

 of science. It may probably be found necessary to 

 place on this Council representatives of biological 



