A "PROTECTED" PRIATE.

NZ Truth, Issue 145, 28 March 1908, Page 6

A "PROTECTED" PRIATE.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE

INVENTOR.

Public Trust Office Earthquake-

Proof.

What About the Patentee?

Most people, particularly those cringing crawlers who go on their .bellies to Andy Carnegie for a thousand or two, wherewith to erect ami furnish a library, never pause to reflect that that money is tainted with human sweat and blood.. Carnegie gives not because lie is a philanthropist actuated by the noblest of , motives ; it is because m his sere and yellow age his conscience pricks him. He is 'haunted by the ghosts of murdered miners and artisans and their starved-to-death wives and orphans. Nor is this all. The rich man of the Oarnqgie type whose sole sordid passion m life h>as been the accumulation of untold wealth, has sucked' the brains of starving genius. It has been the clever, though penniless inventor, whose inventions have subsequently revolutionised the whole world, who have laid the ■FOUNDATIONS OB 1 THE ENORMOUS FORTUNES of blood and brain sucking boodlers of the Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, Gould, Pullman, Edison and a hundred and one other types. They have "capitalised" the genius, they have put the invention on the market, only to subsequently rob and victimise the genius, to circumvent him, to filch him from' all patent rights', and what has too often" followed ? The -genius 'has died m the gutter, perhaps a drunkard, perhaps starved to death. He whose bright inventive genius meant perhaps the saving of millions sterling died the death of the dog, while the piratical boodler lives and thrives and eases his heavy-wrought conscience by • acts of so-called 'benevolence, which are little, abort of 'bribes to God Almighty to forgive and forget their bloody crimes. TBis is the old story. So long. as capitalists are allowed to rob and victimise the inventor, to., trample down patent, rights, so long then will the inventor, though 'bienefltting. the whole world, be allowed to starve, perhaps to 'die as a paupei*. Patent Law is an intricate subject, which rdqtuires deep and patient' study to become fairly conversant with. The Law of Patents aims to protect the rights of the inventor against -pirates, and the inventor whose rights are threatened, being too often a poor v man, cannot invoke the aid of the Baw to crush the • BLOOD AND BRAIN SUCKING " SCOUNDRELS who thrive and '.fatten on the work of another. Now, m the New Zealand' Law provision exists which gives the Government of the country free and unrestricted right of collaring, any patented improvement or invention, and the patentee whose rights are thus rudely invaded is powerless to demand any royalty from the Government. This ' . week a gentleman named Byron* who on November 5, 100G, took out full patent rights for an invention of his own. which is an improved method of constructing steel framing i or Tmildihjgs to ■ stand earthquakes and to be fireproof, . has complained to "Truth" that his patent has been pirated by the Government, .and is being used by them on the new Public Trust building;. This paper is not expert enough to pass any opinion on the reliability of the patented improvement. We know, however, that the great eartlw^iake m San Francisco emphasised the great need there was for some resisting power. Wellington, being m the earthquake zone, has just as much to fear from a visitation .as .-lias any other city m the world,- and if Mr Byron's invention is all that is claimed for it, then that gentleman is to be congratulated. Indeed, his fortune is assured. Of the virtues of the earth-qxialre-resistin,g steel framing, this paper, however, and, fortunately, perhaps, has nothing to say, but the fact that the Government . / \' HAVE, PIRATED THE PATENT and refuse io recognise a claim for a royalty is something which calls for comment, .'because "Truth," at anyrate, refuses^'' to recognise the right of any Government to rob and defraud an inventor, who takes advantage of the Patent Law to protect himself from sharks and other voracious monsters. If the Govern-, nient of New Zealand, as advised by experts, is satisfied' that the .pa-tented improvement is " what the patentee claims it to be, then indeed should the patentee *be rewarded. There must be something m the invention, i otherwise the Government would not , use it m tho . erection of any public ' building, and the least /that can be - done is that the royalty" should,,^ W paid the patentee. The : Government cannot be sued. It is ;as legalised pirate, but the unfortunate, party of. ;the dirty business is that the-''Law. . of Patents .is thus made. a dead letter. Patentees should, before taking out their rights, recognise "the position of the Government •' as it stands 'to them. They can be robbed left and.

rijrhfc, and they cannot s;queal either. If the Govermncnt can pirate what is there to prevent a corrupt crowd of- capitalists swooping' vulture-like down on the "protected" rights and doing as they damn well please ? It seems that the inventor is A GOOD PIGEON TO BE PLUCKED. The Government has the first say iri the filching game, and the best thing a Government which desires to gain the sympathy or affection of the people ought to do, is to amend the Law, and thus protect the patentee from the pirate. If the Government is to be first pirate, there might not be much left of the pigeon for plucking purposes.