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International Patent Congress in Vienna 1873

The International Patent Congress took place in nine sessions from Monday, 4 August 1873 to Friday, 8 August 1873 and finished in a session for constituing an executive committee on Saturday, 9 August 1873 [1]. It was an anwer to increasing critics to World Exhibitions which exposed the exhibitors fundamentaly to two risks: Firstly creating a concurrence for himself and secondly that by poor or imperfect reproductions the reputation of his products could be damaged [2].

Official invitation to Vienna Patent Congress

Preparatory Committee

Freiherr von Schwarz-Senborn, the General Director of the Vienna Exhibition installed a Preparatory Committee for the Patent Congress. According to his appreciation in his opening speech the Committee consisted of:

• Wiliam Pipps BLAKE, Connecticut, special delegate of the US government
• Hamilton A. HILL, Associate Commissioner for Massachusetts was a co-editor of the "Reports of the Massachusetts commissioners to the exposition at Vienna, 1873. With special reports prepared for the Commission" [PDF]
• Carl PIEPER, civil enginneer from Dresden, Germany
• Dr. Matthias Georg RATKOWSY, Wien, Juristenpräfekt
• Dr. Franz von EDLER (probably typing error: should be Franz Edler von Rosas), Finanzrath (fiscal counsel), Head of the k. k. Generaldirektion (Imperial General Direktorate)

According to a report of Herman Grothe [0] "... the preparatory committee never came to an understanding and actual work; still more did the lukewarm reception which the programme found in some states, and the direct refusal of others to take any part in it, lame the progress of the work for the same. It must be acknowledged that the American Government showed a lively interst in the question and the realisation of the project." It seems that the installation of the preperatory committee was a pure lip service to apiece the US American Government, respectively the US American exhibitors. The opponents of patent protection in Austria, had even convinced the Austrian Minister of Commerce to not allow any expenses from the Imperial Exchequer. In this situation Carl Pieper, a ardent proponent for the protection of the rights of individual inventors in a few days brought hundreds of signatures from all districts of Germany, Belgium, England and Amerika. The Director-General renewed the instructions to the Commission under the presidency of Dr. von Rosas to further the matter, and drew Engineer Pieper in that Commission

The drafts for the Patent Congress were discussed with an advisory committee [010], comprising

• Dr. jur. Wilhelm ANDRÉ, jurist for the city of Osnabrück (Germany), juridical member of the commission in the German Association of Engineers for the draft of a Patent law for the German Empire;
• Dr. Alexander Emil Anton BAUER, professor at the polytechnical Institute in Vienna (Austria), member of the Imperial Commission for the World Exhibition and delegate for the jury;
• Hugo Franz von BRACHELLI, Hofrath (Court Councillor), Vienna (Vienna), head of the department for statistics in the Imperial Minestry for Commerce and member of the Imperial Commission for the World Exhibition;
• Wilhelm Ritter von ENGERTH, civil engineer and mechanical engineer
• Dr. Hermann GROTHE, Engineer, Berlin (Germany), editor of the polytechnical journal;
• Dr. Ernst HARTIG, Dresden
• Prof. Dr. George HASELTINE, London, patent attorney of the "International Patent Office, Southampton.
• Prof. Dr. Robert JANNASCH from Proskau (at the time Germany, today Poland)
• Prof. Charles A. JOY, Professor for Chemistry at Columbia University in the City of New York
• Dr. Karl JENNY, Bergrath, Technical University Vienna
• Friederich KAUPE, engineer, St. Petersburg
• Prof. Dr. Rudolf KLOSTERMANN, Ober-Bergrath (senior imperial counselor in charge of mining affairs), Bonn (Germany)
• Eugen LANGEN, Cologne, engineer, member of the German Engineer Society
• Josef NEUWIRTH, author, Vienna (Austria), member of the Imperial Commission for the World Exhibition;
• Franz REULEAUX, Geheimer Regierungsrat (privy councillor), mechanical engineer
• Dr. jur ROSENTHAL, Cologne
• Prof. Dr. Heinrich SCHWARZ, Professor of chemical technologies, Technical University of Graz (Austria), juror
• Baron Wilhelm Freiherr von SCHWARZ-SENBORN, Vienna (Austria) General director of the Vienna World Exhibition;
• Dr. Werner SIEMENS, Berlin (Germany)
• Dr. C. William SIEMENS, London (England)
• Honorable J. M. THACHER, Washington (United States), Assistant Commissioner of Patents and special representative of the US government;
• Thomas WEBSTER, barrister, London (England)
• Dr. F. L. WEINMANN. London (England) member of the royal World Exhibition Commission of Great Britain;

(Un)official Delegates and Representatives

As it turned out that the character of the Patent Congress had changed to an unofficial congress (or by some miscommuncation was never intenteded to have an offcial character) the delegates that had come as official delegates stepped down to a function of being a mere observer. The list therfore comprises also individuals who were reporting about the conference to a state or were members of a state organization entrusted with creating or reforming the national patent law.

Name	State
P. S. AURELIANO	Rumania
Dr. E. A. von BAUMHAUER	Holland
Commendatore Giovanni CODOZZA	Italy
E. FRAENKEL	Sweden
HARTIG	Saxonia (Germany)
Prof. Dr. KLOSTERMANN	Prussia (Germany)
Themistokles von METAXA	Greece
Adolf OTT	Switzerland
D. Porto SEGURO	Brazil
Honorable J. M. THACHER	United States of America
R. VISCHER	Wurtemberg (Germany)
Thomas WEBSTER, Q.C., F.R.S.	Great Brittain

Resolutions adopted at the Congress held at Vienna, on the 4th , 5th , 6th , 7th , and 8th of August, 1873, on the question of international patent-protection.

1. The protection of inventions should be guaranteed by the laws of all civilized nations, because
1. The sense of right among civilized nations demands the legal protection of intellectual work.
2. This protection affords, under the condition of a complete specification and publication of the invention, the only practical and effective means of introduction technical methods without loss of time, and in a reliable manner, to the general knowledge of the public.
3. The protection of invention renders the labor of the inventor remunerative, and induces thereby competent men to devote time and means to the introduction and practical application of new and useful technical methods and improvements, and attracts capital from abroad, which, in the absence of patent-protection, will find means of secure investment elsewhere.
4. By the obligatory complete publication of the patented invention, the great sacrifice of time and of money, which the technical application would otherwise impose upon the industry of all countries, will be considerably lessened.
5. By the protection of invention, secrecy of manufacture, which is one of the greatest enemies of industrial progress, will lose its chief support.
6. Great injury will be inflicted upon countries which have no rational patent laws, by the native inventive talent emigrating to more congenial countries, where their labor is legally protected.
7. Experience shows that the holder of a patent will make the most effectual exertions for a speedy introduction of his invention.


2. An effective and useful patent-law should be based on the following principles :
1. Only the inventor himself, or his legal representative, should be entitled to a patent.
2. A patent should not be refused to a foreigner.
3. It is advisable, in carrying out these principles , to introduce a system of preliminary examination.
4. A patent should be granted either for a term of fifteen years, or be permitted to be extended to such a term.
5. Simultaneously with the issue of a patent a complete publication of the same should take place , rendering the technical application of the invention possible.
6. The expense of obtaining a patent should be moderate; but, in the interest of the inventor, a progressive scale of fees should be established , enabling him to abandon, when convenient, a useless patent.
7. Facilities should be given, by a well-organized patent-office, to obtain in an easy manner the specification of a patent, as well as to ascertain what patents are still in force.
8. It is advisable to establish legal rales, according to which the patentee should be induced, in cases in which the public interest may require it, to allow the use of his invention to all suitable applicants for an adequate compensation.
9. The non-application of an invention in one country shall not involve the forfeiture of the patent, if the patented invention has been carried into practice at all, and if it has been rendered possible for the inhabitants of such country to purchase and make use of the invention.
10. In all other respects, and particularly as regards the proceedings in the granting of patents, the congress refers to the English, American, and Belgian patent-laws, and to the draught of a patent-law prepared for Germany by the Society of German Engineers.



# Considering the great differences in present patent-administration, and the altered international commercial relations, the necessity of reform is evident; and it is of pressing moment that governments should endeavor to bring about an international understanding upon patent-protection as soon as possible.

3. The congress empowers the preparatory committee to continue the work commenced by this first international congress, and to use all their influence that the principles R: The adopted committee be made is likewise known as authorized widely asto possible, endeavor and to carried bring about into practice an exchange of opinions on the subject, and to call, from time to time, meetings and conferences of the friends of patent-protection.


4. To this end, the preparatory committee is hereby appointed to act as a permanent executive committee, with power to add other members to their number, and to appoint the time and place for the next meeting of the congress, in case such a meeting should be considered necessary for the promotion of the foregoing resolutions.

Positive remarks on the Patent Congress

Sources

translated by A. Hildebrandt into English: "The International Patent Congress in Vienna, 1873"

[0] transl

[1] "Der Erfinderschutz und die Reform der Patentgesetze. Amtlicher Bericht über den Internationalen Patent-Congress zur Erörterung der Frage des Patentschutzes", Carl Pieper, Dresden 1873, page 1.

[2] "Der Erfinderschutz und die Reform der Patentgesetze.", page 2.

"The International Patent Congress in Vienna, 1873. Translation of Dr. Hermann Grothe's report by A. Hildebrandt, London 1875.

[THACHER] Extract from United States Congressional Serial (Digitalized by GOOGLE); Report of John M. Thacher [PDF] on the International Congress in Vienna 1873.

[010] Webster includes in the list of the preparitory committeed the members that are listed in Thatcher as members of an advisory committee. However, Baron Schwarz-Senborn explicitely named the members of the preparatory committee in his opening speech for the Patent Congress, to honour them espacially at those who had worked to put together the agenda for the patent Congress. Obviously the advisory committee did not meet as such, but individuals were consulted to get input for the agenda. All members of the list of Webster, which were not explicetly named by Baron Schwarz-Senborn as members of the preperatory committee, have been added to the list of the advisory committee.

[ABC3] "Der Erfinderschutz und die Reform der Patentgesetze.", page 3.

[CKayser] Zur Patentfrage: Denkschrift für ein allgemeines deutsches Patentgesetz, wie sie vom Vereine deutscher Ingenieure in seiner Hauptversammlung zu Braunschweig am 2. September 1863 aufgestellt wurden. See essay 5[Google Books].

[LKayser] Zur Patentfrage: Denkschrift für ein allgemeines deutsches Patentgesetz, wie sie vom Vereine deutscher Ingenieure in seiner Hauptversammlung zu Braunschweig am 2. September 1863 aufgestellt wurden. See essay 6[Google Books].

Rosenthal, Der Erfindungsschutz vor dem Forum der gesetzgebenden Factoren (see "Die Patentfrage"; essay 2) [Google Books]

[LKayser]"Zur Patentfrage" in "Die Patentfrage: Denkschrift für ein allgemeines deutsches Patentgesetz, wie sie vom Vereine deutscher Ingenieure in seiner Hauptversammlung zu Braunschweig am 2. September 1863 aufgestellt wurden." See essay 4 [Google Books].

[SECKELMANN] "The indebtedness to the inventive genius: Global Expositions and the Development of an International Patent Protection"[PDF], by Margrit Seckelmann in "Identity and universality", A commemoration of 150 years of Universal Exhibitions, Bulletin 2001, Bureau International des Expositions.

[MacFie] Question of Mr. Macfie to the Under Secretary of State of Foreign AffairsHansard 7 April 1873 Volume 215

[Fischer] Fischer, Werner Siemens und der Schutz der Erfindungen [PDF]

Entwurf eines Patentgesetzes für das Deutsche Reich: vorgelegt in einer Petition an den Bundesrath des Deutschen Reiches

[OTHMAR] Othmar Lenz, Motivirte Antwort auf die zur Enquête über das Reichs-Patentgesetz gestellten Fragen nebst neuem Gesetz-Entwurf [Google Books].

Othmar Lenz Mit Bemerkungen und Amdndments ]Google Books]

Franz Wirth, Die Patent-Reform[Google Books]

Revidirter Entwurf eines Patent-Gesetzes für das Deutsche Reich nebst Motiven: dem Bundesrath des deutschen Reiches vorgelegt durch den Deutschen Patentschutz-Verein ; red. nach den Beschlüssen der Generalversammlung vom 15. Nov. 1875nbsp;[Google Books].

[Kortkampf] Beiträge zur Patentfrage: aus den Vernehmungen der vom Bundesrathe berufenen Sachverständigen, Entwurf eines Patent-Gesetzes [Google Books].

[WSiemens] An das Hohe Reichskanzleramt, Berlin, den 20 December 1876[Google Books].

[CL] Kurze Bemerkungen zum Entwurf Eines Deutschen Patentgesetzes[Google Books].

[Hammacher] Friedrich Hammacher, Bericht der Siebenten Kommission des Deutschen Reichstages betreffend den Entwurf eines Patentgesetzes: Nebst der Zusammenstellung des Entwurfes eines Patentgesetzes nach den Beschlüssen der Kommission[Google Books]

[Bitzer] Friedrich Bitzer, Ober-Regierungsrath, Vorschläge für ein deutsches Patentgesetz: beantragt durch die von der hohen deutschen Bundesversammlung durch Beschluß vom 24. Juli 1862 einberufene Commission von Fachmännern, mit Erläuterungen und einer Ausführung über die principielle Rechtfertigung des Patentschutzes[Google Books]

[Pieper] Der Schutz der Erfindungen im Deutschen Reich: die Reichtagsverhandlungen, das Patentgesetz und seine Ausführungen : mit kritischen Anmerkungen[Google Books].

[Dambach] Otto Dambach, Das Patentgesetz für das deutsche Reich [Google Books].

[Goldenberg] Alfred Goldenberg, Ueber das projectirte Patentgesetz für das Deutsche Reich November 1876 >[Google Books].

[Rakowsky] Matthias Georg Ratkowsky 1870, Zur Reform des Erfinder-Rechtes

[Pieper] Carl Pieper 1873, Der Erfinderschutz und die Reform der Patentgesetze; amtlicher Bericht über den Internationalen Patent-Congress zur Erörterung der Frage des Patentschutzesnbsp;[Google Books]

[Rosas] Franz Edler von Rosas, Anton Ritter von Kastner, Josef Winiwarter; Drei Gutachten über die Reform des österreichischen Patentrechtes : an den VI. österreichischen Advocatentag [Google Books]

Siemens AG Zeitschrift für Berg- Hüttenwesen und Industrie26 August 1873

[Webster Report] Reports on the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873, Part IV [PDF]pages 333-578.