“I, for one, am in the position of having what we may term a Trade Secret of great value both to myself and to Society. I would like to share it, but under the present Patent System there is no possible way I may do this and receive a remuneration which I consider adequate and equitable.”
A senator interrupted, frowning. “You mean you are not able to obtain patents on your discoveries under the present laws?”
“That is correct,” said Mart. “I cannot protect my discoveries, therefore, if I am to make any practical use of them I must keep them as Trade Secrets, as it were.”
“But there are patents here,” said the senator. He held up a sheaf of papers. “I have copies of patents issued to you, covering the devices over which disputes seem to have arisen.”
Mart shook his head. “No, sir. There is no dispute over the devices covered by those patents. No one is trying to deny me the privilege of making a million toy rockets propelled by antigravity, nor do they care if I become rich as an operator of gambling clubs.
“But I do not wish for these things. I have been forced into these activities by the deficiencies of the Patent Laws.”
The senator gulped a mouthful of air in restrained exasperation. “How in the world can any law of the United States force you into such activities against your will?”
“Just a moment, if you will,” said Senator Cogswell. “Perhaps we should allow Dr. Nagle to complete his testimony without interruption. There will be opportunity for questioning later.”
“If I were free to do so,” said Mart, “I would immediately release my material to the industrial and Governmental laboratories of the country. Within months, the hundreds of engineers in these organizations would be able to develop scores of useful devices based upon my discoveries. But the engineers would be granted patents on the devices in the name of the corporations for which they worked. The corporations would be the ones to profit. I would get not one dime for my part of the work!”
“That’s fantastic,” the interrupting senator said. “I can’t believe that such a situation exists. Certainly no one is going to try to force you to give your work away for nothing.