Journal Patent Office Society

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. In order that the assistant examiner shall properly perform his duties it is necessary that he should form a just conception of his position and responsibilities with reference both to the public and to the inventor, and aoquire a full appreciation of the work in which he is engaged. A patent is sometimes regarded as a contract between the public and the inventor, the consideration on the part of the inventor being such a complete disclosure of the invention as will enable any one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make, construct, compound, and use the same. The consideration on the part of the public is the protection of the inventor in the manufacture, use, and sale of his invention for a definite time (17 years) by prohibiting the manufacture, use, and sale by others without the inventor's consent. One function of the patent is to clearly and distinctly point out the exact limits of the invention for which the patentee is given protection.