inventor may put much hard study upon his invention and make
many costly experiments, this part of his work is usually a pleasure;
and in securing the patent he invariably has able counsel in his
attorney with no anxiety on his part; but with the commercial proceeding
of selling his patent, which involves the greatest prudence and care in
managing, it is different, and here is where the inventor's real work
begins if he expects to reap the benefit of his invention.

[Sidenote: Patent-selling Agencies.]

For the benefit of unexperienced patentees it is deemed expedient to
give a word of warning here regarding the host of so-called
patent-selling agencies, which under various imposing titles, coupled
with an apparently honest and straightforward method of business, tempt
each patentee, upon the issue of his patent, to place the same in their
hands and authorize them to negotiate the sale thereof. Their
propositions are very attractive and temptingly prepared; their offers
appear to be "gilt edge"; their circulars are high-sounding and
rose-colored; their contracts are formal looking, and drawn up in an
impressive way, highly advantageous to the patentee; but it will be
noted in all cases that they will require the patentee to pay down a
certain sum under some pretence,--such as to cover the cost of
advertising the patent, to have circulars printed, to secure copies of
the patent for distribution, to have a cut made illustrating the
invention, or for membership fee, and so on, it matters not what, so
long as it is an advance fee. Many will also agree to sell both the
United States and Canadian patents, if the patentee will file the
Canadian application through them; it is evident, however, that this is
only a scheme to get the patentee to take out the Canadian patent
through them--they having no facilities for disposing of either of the
patents.

The writer is not prepared to say that there are no honestly conducted
patent-selling agencies, but from long experience and observation, has
never known where a patentee was ever materially benefited by placing
his interests in the hands of these concerns, and has yet to learn of
them ever making a sale solely through their own efforts. Very few of
these concerns have any facilities whatever for selling patents; all of
their time being taken up in mailing their weekly circulars to inventors
immediately upon the publication of the _Official Gazette_, and working
inventors up to