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JANUARY 19, 1883.] THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 85 to as PIC.3 PIC. 4 IA Read before the Glasgow Photographic Society. with regard to the granting of patents, and we propose now to lay before our readers some extracts, together with information which will enable them to judge as to the advisability of patenting their inventions or not. Unless a specification contains the best directions which an appli cant is able to give for carrying out the process, the patent is altogether invalid, the often attempted position of attempting to patent a process, and to keep it secret at the same time, being quite untenable. The first fee of £5 affords protection for a period of six months only: but a patentee who goes no farther than this is often in a much worse position than if he had simply worked his process as a secret method. He has explained all details shown on the diagram. We must heartily congratulate I Mr. Pickwell on the satisfactory solution of a difficult problem, that has previously troubled several engineers in vain ; and we are glad to find that it secured the first prize—a silver medal—at the North-East Coast Exhibition. come no longer of sufficient commercial value to make it worth while to keep up the payments. Fully half—indeed, rather more than half—of the photographic patents are allowed to lapse at the end of the first period of six months ; and when looking over the records the other day, we could only find two photographic patents which expire of old age (fourteen years) during the present year. New rules and regulations have recently been issued PATENTS AND PATENTING. Although the number of photographic patents applied for and granted is rather numerous, it is remarkable how few are allowed to run their full course of fourteen years. This may be due to the rapid advance of photographic research, new processes replacing the older ones ; so that these be- CARBON PRINTING. by J. C. ANNAN.* In reading this paper I am quite conscious that I am not bringing anything new before you. It was only at the very urgent solicitation of our much-tried secretary that I pro mised to do my best to fill up an evening. And in the hope that the subject might be interesting to some of you, I have hurriedly prepared this paper on carbon or autotype printing. This first observation of the photographic properties of bichro mate of potassium, which plays the most important part in our process, dates from the year 1838, when the English chemist, his method of working, and this explanation is published to the world; and at the end of the period of six months he cannot sell his results as “ Patent ” or “ Patented,” without becoming subject to severe penalties. As regards formalities at the Patent Office, but little need be said, as the directions issued by the office make all tolerably clear; and if the intending patentee obtains a set of forms from a law stationer, his work will be considerably facilitated. A fee of £5 covers the cost of the provisional pro tection for six months; but if the patentee wishes to proceed, he must lodge a notice at the Patent Office within four months of the first application, and pay a fee of £5. The application for the warrant of the Law Officer must be made at least twenty-one days before the expiration of the provisional six months, and a fee of £10 must be paid. A further fee of £5 for the stamp on the final specification completes the expense of a patent for three years, the total amount being thus £25. A payment of £50 before the ex piration of the third year serves to extend the patent to seven years ; and if an additional £100 is paid before the end of the seventh year, the patent re mains valid for an additional seven years, making fourteen in all. Every diagrrm must be accompanied by a dupli cate so drawn as to be suited for reproduction by photography, and the following are the official regu lations regarding this matter. “The copy of the drawing or drawings, to be left with the copy of the specification, must be made on good white smooth-surfaced drawing paper of the same dimensions as the parchment drawing. All the lines must be absolutely black, Indian ink of the best quality to be used, and the same strength or colour of the ink maintained throughout the draw ing. Any shading must be in lines, clearly and distinctly drawn, and as open as is consistent with the required effect. Section lines should not be too closely drawn. No colour must be used for any pur pose upon this drawing. All letters and figures of reference must be bold and distinct. The border ! line should be one fine line only. The drawing must । not be folded, but must be delivered at the Office of the Commissioners, either in a perfectly flat state, ■ or rolled upon a roller, so as to be free from creases | or breaks.”