UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEARINGS HELD BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON PATENTS S. Congress. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 5011, H. R. 5012, and H. R. 7010 TO ESTABLISH THE PATENT OFFICE AS AN INDEPENDENT BUREAU, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. COMMITTEE ON PATENTS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. John I. Nolan (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Before we proceed with the hearings on the several bills that have been drafted by the patent committee of the National Research Council, I would like to introduce to the members of the Committee on Patents of the House of Representatives Mr. J. A. de Marval, who is representing the Argentine Government in this country, so far as that Government's interest in patents is concerned. STATEMENT OF MR. J. A. DE MARVAL, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. Mr. DE MARVAL. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the Argentine law in regard to patents is very old, indeed, and we have experienced the necessity of improving our patent system and our patent office. In connection with the peace treaty we find that the number of applications that will be handled is going to be increased continuously, and it is necessary to improve our system of granting patents. In that direction we have directed our attention. to see where we can get the best advice in regard to changes in our system in order to obtain the necessary improvements, and in doing that it was unanimously agreed that the first place to which we should direct our attention was the United States Patent Office. It is the American system that we should try to follow in so far as possible, and we should try to obtain our improvements from America, and that means the United States of America. I want to thank the Commissioner of Patents and other authorities in this country for the very cordial reception which has been given me, and I am positive that as a result of this systematic study a great improvement will accrue to the patent laws and the patent procedure of our country. [Applause.] The CHAIRMAN. By a formal order of the committee this day was set aside for the beginning of hearings on three bills that were drafted after careful investigation by the patent committee of the National Research Council, affecting the welfare of the Patent Office and patent legislation generally. The bills are H. R. 5011, 5012, and the last bill, which I introduced yesterday, in an amended form, H. R. 7010. Mr. Prindle, the Secretary of the patent committee of the National Research Council, is here, and I am going to ask him to open the hearing and present the witnesses in the order in which he thinks they ought to testify before the committee. 3 |