Recent Discussions on the Abolition of Patents

The British and Foreign Book Trade

The following figures, extracted from a recent Parliamentary Return, while they show a highly satisfactory ratio of increase, will probably convince the commercial reader that the International Book Trade of Christendom is yet in its infancy, and, perhaps, that the swaddling-bands and close confinement of monopoly should be exchanged for a freer and more natural system of nursing and protection:—

Books Printed in the United Kingdom, Exported Therefrom

Countries to which Exported.	Quantities.			Declared Value.
	1828.	1848.	1868.	1828.	1848.	1868.
	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	£	£	£
Foreign Countries:—
United States	605	3,158	18,379	14,612	47,955	184670
Other Foreign Countries	1,449	2,003	10,540	33,319	30,678	181350
Total	2,054	5,161	28,919	47,931	78,633	366020
British Possessions:—
Australia	148	1,968	18,583	3,933	27,249	148413
British North America	364	1,131	6,919	8,178	15,156	64139
Other British Possessions	1,552	4,026	6,987	41,072	71,114	105671
Total	2,064	7,125	32,489	53,183	113519	318223
Aggregate of Foreign Countries and British Possessions.	4,118	12,286	61,408	101114	192152	684243

Quantities and Value, with the Weights and Moneys rendered into English Equivalents, of Printed Books Imported into and Exported from the United Kingdom and Foreign Countries in the latest Year for which Returns have been received and the Tenth Year previous thereto:—

Countries.		Imported (for Home Consumption).		Exported (Domestic Produce).
		Cwts.	£	Cwts.	£
United Kingdom12	{ 1858	5,971	83,598	12,286	192,152
	{ 1868	10,695	137,580	61,480	684,243
Russia13	{ 1857	Not stated	100,718	Not stated	Not stated
	{ 1867		73,588		18,813
Sweden13	{ 1856	Not stated	6,938	Not stated	1,697
	{ 1866		8,780		3,569
Zollverein	{ 1856	21,098	Not stated	38,275	Not stated
	{ 1866	31,485		67,376
Holland	{ 1857	4,349	46,126	2,437	38,363
	{ 1867	7,228	76,659	3,555	37,714
Belgium	{ 1856	5,612	69,750	4,063	52,228
	{ 1866	Not stated	97,040	Not stated	48,760
France	{ 1857	5,438	95,224	38,542	510,352
	{ 1867	11,942	201,280	40,887	522,374
Spain13	{ 1854	Not stated		2,060	19,383
	{ 1864	1,924	8,323	674	8,929
Italy	1865	6,108	56,464	1,678	15,375
United States	{ 1857	Not stated	181,980	Not stated	57,843
	{ 1867		246,539		71,386

The total weight of the Book Trade of Christendom appears to be less than 200,000 cwts., which, taken at 1 lb. per volume, makes only about 20,000,000 of volumes, about a fourth part of which is sent from this country to the North American and Australian “Markets.”

The Beehive, of 31st July, has an article on the meeting referred to in the Prefatory Note. The following is an extract, to which three notes are respectfully subjoined:—

... But to abolish all protection to original inventions would be, as Mr. Paterson justly contended, to hand over all the profits arising from such inventions to the capitalist.14 This speaker would make the granting of Patents free from charge, and lay a tax on the profits of the contrivance patented. Mr. Macfie, the Member for Leith, made a decided hit when he pointed to the absence of royalties abroad, while at home they lie upon us with a crushing weight; and, if we cannot find ease without following the example of Switzerland in abolishing Patent-Laws, and of Holland and Germany by declaring against them, there will be no help for it.

But when Mr. Macfie “denies that the inventor has any exclusive right to his invention,” he makes an assertion that it is in the power of any inventor practically to disprove. Say that A has found out an invention of value, or, which is the same thing for the purpose of argument, thinks he has; he meets with the Member for Leith, who says, “Come, my fine fellow, out with that invention of yours, for the general good; you have no exclusive right to it.” What would A be likely to say in reply? “Haven’t I? Let me choose to keep it to myself, and who can hinder me?” While, however, it is perfect nonsense to deny a man’s right to the ideas of his own mind,15 the practical question is another thing; and it behoves us all to remember that we are members of one society, and that a society called at least Christian. Nevertheless, if A is to make his contribution to the general good, all the rest of the alphabet are bound to reciprocate his liberality.16...

Notes

12 Part Re-Exported.

13 For these Countries the Total Imports and Exports are stated.

14 For capitalist, if there were no Patents, why not say consumer?

15 It is exclusive right, not at all his personal right, to use, and right to conceal, if he has the will and power, that is denied.

16 These concluding sound reflections are eminently suggestive.

Errata

On page	70,	two lines from bottom, read Francis instead of Joseph.
″	92,	line 13, for command read commend; and insert a comma after the word inaugurate in next line.