244 GOODYEAR ON GUM-ELASTIC. 



pursuits. As the law now is, the remedies which it affords to 

 patentees are, in most cases, inadequate to the protection of 

 their rights, and the prevention of infringement upon them by 

 that unscrupulous and unprincipled class of persons who make 

 it a practice willfully to depredate upon patent-rights, and 

 who, from the basely criminal character of the offence which 

 they commit, are stigmatized by the appellation of the infa- 

 mous epithet of pirate. Certainly, adequate protection should 

 be given to the honest inventor who devotes his substance, and 

 his incessant toil for the benefit of society, against the freeboot- 

 ers who invade, without scruple, his property, which, to him, is 

 more sacred and invaluable, because it is the cherished creation 

 of his own genius. But while his exclusive property in his 

 invention exists, it must be conceded that the inventor has a 

 right to demand of the government the most ample security and 

 protection in its enjoyment. This security and protection he 

 does not, under our present imperfect system, enjoy. On the 

 contrary, the difficulty and expense, and the absolute impossibil- 

 ity, in some cases, of vindicating his rights, have rendered the 

 present laws enacted for his protection, almost absolute nullities. 

 To remedy this imperfection in the existing system, is the object 

 of the amendments of the patent laws, proposed in the two 

 former reports of the undersigned. 



" It seems unnecessary to remark upon the incalculable value 

 of the labors of the inventor, and his claims upon society for 

 protection in the enjoyment of his just rights. And sooner or 

 later, the undersigned is confident they will be fully recognized 

 and protected by the enlightened legislators of a great Republic, 

 whose progress has been so much accelerated by their genius 

 and enterprise." 



The writer of these pages has not the presumption to present 

 any plan of legislative action as a remedy for the evils which are 

 universally admitted to exist under the present patent laws. 

 The matter demands and deserves the serious consideration of 

 the most experienced and able legislators. Is this subject too 

 difficult for the human intellect to master, or for society to settle 



