AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 599 



required for the use of Congress, and for donation to public libraries, and 

 for exchanges with Foreign offices which, like the English, publish their 

 specifications. A complete set of foreign specifications should thus, if 

 practicable, be procured for every public library, at the expense of Govern- 

 ment. 



"An advantage of requiring patentees to pay for printing their specifica- 

 tions is, that it would tend to induce their preparation in a clear and con- 

 cise style. 



"It may seem a hardship to poor inventors to require even the least 

 expense that would record their inventions ; and, further, that this system 

 would give the rich an advantage over them, in that they might eclipse 

 them by superior advertising. But it should be remembered that the rich 

 now have this advantage in the various advertising chanels and the 

 proposed publication would not increase it. 



"The Committee, therefore, recommend that the American Institute 

 memorialize Congress and pi'ay for such a publication. 



"In proposing to assess upon each patentee the entire cost of publishing 

 his specification, which assessment is additional to the regular and uniform 

 patent fee ; and . considering that the office will derive some revenue from 

 the sale of these publications, already paid for by the patentees, it is to be 

 expected that the regular fees will be reduced from time to time, so that 

 the charge upon inventors shall not be of the nature of a tax. 



"In respect to that part of the bill which provides for abolishing the 

 right of inventors to appeal to a court outside' of the Patent Office, your 

 Committee recommend that the Institute should earnestly ask for its recon- 

 sideration. This right of appeal is an important check on the ofilice, that 

 tends to fender its decisions more careful and just. But few of the deserv- 

 ing cases are appealed each year; and these appeals have a salutary influ- 

 ence. If this power is removed, and the office made the absolute arbiter 

 on ail questions of patents, your Committee apprehend that great wrou^a 

 will result, 



"In respect to the foregoing, your Committee unanimously agree. . And 

 the majority of the Committee further suggest : 



"1. That forasmuch as the books which the patentees have paid for may, 

 if well written and illustrated, be sold to a great extent, the Commissioner 

 should have power to distribute the proceeds of sales ; and, as an 

 encouragement to make the book interesting and saleable, the distribution 

 might be in proportion to the literary and artistic value of the articles. 



" 2. That nations should recognize and protect each other's patents, and 

 that a conditional provision to this effect should be suggested as an amend- 

 ment to the bill. 



** Respectfully submitted, 



"J. K. FISHER, 

 "JOHN JOHNSON, 

 "T. D. STETSON, 



" Covimitteey 



