eye? TUR ee iy roe WOES! SPSS EAE ES 20 ERTL T REPORTS MEM RT USA OET AT ISISPS ORES ISTE at. SS VET VST DUDES, Ente rp ecee erie e yy Peeper “ SER ne he Tr) ragptanrene 726 PRADA LSE ENS PELL ES A ae rk BOSE EEUU TER TERT RESP ST? ORES toe ans are Ye “se SE es eee a ae MRR EYES DPSS M CTRL Es oF ar) Page 4, The Herald, Wednesday, August 13, 1980 f" : TERRACE lit vo. , _ Published by Sterling Publishers PUBLISHER. Calvin McCarthy _ EDITOR. Greg Middleton . CIRCULATION. TERRACE. - 635-6357 Published every weekday at 2212 Kalum Streei. Terrace, B.C. Authorized as second class mail. Registration nu mber-1201. Postage pald in cash, return postage quaranteed.- ue os . ‘ NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT , The Herald retatns full, complete and sole copyright In - any advertisement produced and-or any editorlal or photographic content published ‘In . the ‘Herald. Reproduction Is not permitted without the written General OHice- 635-6357 . Circulation - 635-4357 . permission of the Publisher. . The fourth In a serlesof five articles on law for fe artists and Inventors by Gordon Hardy. A Vancouver patent agent says he’s always. ae struck by the number of people who came to him wanting to get Canadian patents on devices they’ve merely seen In Japan and Europe. The agent, Norman Cameron, says people don't seem to realize that only the original in- ventor Is legally entitled to apply -for a patent. And that’s not the only misconception he runs ‘across at work. . an Another myth, he says, Is thatthe commonly- seen “Patent Pending” label.on many products has legal weight. In reallty, “Patent Pending’ cannot prevent someone. else from making, using or selling the product or. Invention." “At best It’s a warning to other parties that you‘re getting a patent and they should avoid copying,” he says. “It has psychological value... But In my view If’s even used fraudulently sometimes by people who have-no Intention of getting a patent,” mo "Another person can manufacture your In- vention as much as he likes*until you get your Office se your patent will issue sooner.’”’ Athird myth, according to Cameron, is that it is the government that will protect patented Inventions. ‘That's not true,” he says. “‘It’s up to you to protect your patent — you must take . people to court who infringe tt.” - Cameron says another misconception Is that - inventors whose Inventions are not yet complete enough to file for patent can protect the In- vention by filing a caveat, or warning, with the Bureau of Intellectual Property. If a caveat Is filed, then the Patent Office Is obliged to notify the Inventor if someone else files an application for a similar Invention within one year. This “gives the Inventor an opportunity to file a patént application and the Patent Office will issue a patent to the person determined to be the first: ’ Inventor. The caveat does not provide an earlier filing date for a subsequent patent application. Registered patent agents like Cameron are recognized by the Patent Office of the Bureau of Intellectual Property. The Patent Office, for its part, cautions Inventors that unregistered patent agents are not authorized to practice before It. os “They are not subject to Patent Office discipline,” It says, “‘and the office cannat help. inventors by dealing with them.” Even lawyers - must qualify as registered patent agents or they are not authorized to practice in the fleld of patents. Cameron says-about nine out of ten patent applications rejected by the Patent Office are found unacceptable because the article or process Is considered "obvious or nonin- ventive. The office usually alleges that all of the significant features can be obtalned by com- bining two or more earfier patents. Or else the rejections are due to Improperly prepared applications. There are many rules relating to the form of the written portion of the application and the drawings and it Is very: difficult for amateurs, to understand and ob- serve all of them. ote . The assistance of a patent agent can add a lot to the already considerable costs of getting a patent but, according to John Swift, a Van- couver lawyer, professional assistance Is very desirable. - . "H's a very difficult thing to do yourself,” he says. “You should have expert‘advice.” Some impatient Inventors might be tempted to forego the lengthy and expensive business: of . seeking a patent. They may try to market thelr ~ Invention‘ directly. Of course this means that someone else Is free fo copy the Invention. The salmon in trouble VANCOUVER(CP)—The west coast salmon, once a ‘cheap, plentiful staple in Canadian kitchens, is in trouble. |, Poor catches this year have led everyone involved in the $1-billion salmon in- dustry — British Columbia's fourth largest — to the ‘conclusion that stocks of the popular fish are critically low. _ ‘Fen years ago the annual Seprgomttial catch averaged. millicn pounds of saimon. iat figure has falfen to about 140 million pounds and this year the most optimistic estimate ig 100 million. pounds, . While all agree that ther are problems with the fishery, opinions vary on the causes. Among the suggestions are: ; _—Overfishing by 5,000. li-, censed commercial fishing yessels and ‘the almost- unregulated sports fishery. —Deterioration. ‘of the salmon's environment; in- . cluding spawning channels, because of pollution, logging and ~hydroelectric development.’ . —Problems in properly managing and restocking the fishery. 7 aot —Lack of a reciprocal * fishing agreement. between Canada and the .United States which would provide a co-ordinated management policy and fairly divide catch “quotas, Clerks facing — tough decision — OTTAWA (CP) — About 50,000 federal govetmment clerks, traditionally among the least militant of public servants; face a téugh | - decision soon — whether to go-on strike. The clerks, among the lowest paid in the ‘public service, belong to the 180,000- member Public Service Alllance of Canada. They were offered only a fiveper-cent wage Increase after their last contract expired in November which led to threats that they will slow govarnnient operations from coast to coast, if not- stop them. h- The government, recently increased the olfes-to seven per cent in each year of a two-year contract: but that was too little, too late, The union sald no,, began organizing its strike network and called for conciliation as a last attempt to get, more money, = i ' Government J dicate the clerks are paid ‘Peiween $8,246 and $20.50 - tended . if . ‘; . pééémmendations figures in: Jerry Spltz of the Fisheries Assoclation of B.C, blames | environmental damage as the No. 1 factor behind the _ decline pf.the fishery, . Losa‘of breeding waters is rarely caused by a single. industrial project or en- vironmental disaster, Spitz. said. Instead, the loss Is . gradual as small amounts of pollution ‘enter rivers and streams aver a period. of time? i (i) total It’s decimating our riv- ers. a . Spitz points to a record run of 58-million red salmon this year in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The reason..is the area's isolation, he says. Fewer people means less pollution ” "and more fish. . “tWe-are going to develop this province industrially, but it should be done, not at the expense of our en- vironment, but with special gonsideration given to “protecting and maintaining . it” \ oe “Spite thiiks governments ‘should be investing - more “money ‘in the fishery: and “environmental reeearch. . The. federal fisheries department spends about.$3 ‘million a year to run salmon: hatcheries and management programe in the Pacific: region. . There's an insatiable ‘demand for money in annually, Most earn between $11,660. and $14,141. The average Is $12,615., The three-man conciliation board appointed to handle the dispute must have its report in Thursday, putting the union In.a legal position to strike seven days later. ” However, that could be ex- concillators ‘Stephen Lewis, former Ontario New Democratic Party leader, Norman .McLean, @ federal industrial relations officer, and Victor Scott, an industrial relatlons consultant, need more time. They've had two weeks since the hearings on the dispute to find a solution. Union leaders say they - need ‘about one month after the report is released to conduct a vote among all clerks on whether to accept the conciliation recom- mendations and then on whether to strike 4f the are turned down. There i¢ also the possibility of further negotiations, = fisheries, said John Davis, associate. director -of the resource services branch ‘and head of the salmon division in’ Vancouver. There's aiso a growing awareness that more must be spent to save the re- source. - . : Davis | agrees” en- vironmental: damage is a problem, but . blames overfishing as the chief reason for salmon decline. dayyls ti v= “fleet out there ard-that goes along with modern technology,” he said. "As a result, the effectiveness of that fleet can certainly make & dent in major stocks of salmon.” ; ‘ he solution is thérough research into salmon habits, said Davis.‘ Once enough information is collected, officials can try to achieve a more equitable distribution of fishing boats. Policies must be designed to. ensure that enough salmon evade. fishermen's nets to:.. Spawn sew generations for future fishermen, _ : Regulations are needed to control mixed-stock waters, Currently, -some types of salmon In dangerous decline are mixed with abundant species and fish born in a hatchery. Each drop of the dangered-varietles are lost. Another problem is that no - one knows how many salmon are being caught by the thou- sands of sports fishermen, said John Rivard of the Native Brotherhood of B.C. sports flsherles‘at any given net means more of the en-. “If they all use the salmogi ’ time, that number of people would decimate the stocks." “The Native Brotherhood is holding talks with Ottawa about implementing its own hatchery project. under federal programs for community economic devel- opment. \ : The government's current hatchery program, says Spitz, is a good ‘investment. For évery dollar invested, $13 worth of fish return to B.C. waters, : : But hatcheries arén't the: total solution to the problem. The ‘technology. isn’t available to replace all the natural stock in the pravince even if the money were available. | .,. ‘The state of the salmon fishery also has aggravated rivalries between Canadian and U.S. fishermen over how to fairly divide-the catch from boundary waters. For example, sockeye and pink .salmon' runs in the Fraser River.are managed jointly by Canada and the U.S. through the = In- ternational: Pacific Salmon Fisherles Commission." Recently, two Canadian members’ threatened to ‘resign because of what they said was.. the federal government's lack of action .in defending this country's ’ share of the quotas. - The commission is hamstrung by the absence of ‘a newsalmon treaty between ~'the two cquntries, says John Roos, assistant director. Until then, nelther country is willing to undertake new hatchery .or management programs for fear that the -other country’s fishermen will net the benefits...” a saye his. retirement. next I month will not end his efforts | : WINNIPEG. (CP). — i-Canada’s federal atehdog, J. J:, Macdonell, to ensure that taxpayers get alue fot the money! their Governments spend,: = Heeaidhe will use the firet adopt’ the. auditing methods ;he. in- ' Wtroduced at the féderal level... Macdonell, 64, who ‘steps down next month: as federal | auditor-general, wants | adoption - of terventlonist: form of scrutinizing the public books called . comprehensive auditing, .. He told the chairmen of provincial and federal ac- counts committees meeting ‘bere that his new ‘approach would allow the auditor. of the causes of wastefulness 4nd recommend corrective measures, = . “It's a very sophlaticated J brand of auditing,” he said. here.” ce, Some of the public ac-, counts chairmen, however, expressed concern that the method could propel auditora into the polltical arena. Jim Walding, chairman of the Manitoba accounts commitiee, said a plan to allow provincial auditor W. K. Ziprick to comment on ‘spending efficiency was withdrawn by the provincial government last year, with, the support of the opposition. “We felt it would be im- proper for the auditor to comment on political decisions,” Walding sald. An auditor would have to judge the cultural, social and economic impact of spending to determine whether it was "justified, Walding said. “That's where the danger - gomes,”" . : -Macdonell said: auditors could avoid being drawn into apending . *. MONBY. - amount of monéy authorized. by Parliament. for a project rine an’, amount. actually any public body to examine ” "It's never been tackled - h -the world but. vt anywhere in-the wot . been given authority to apply . . started a project to examine wy Wetcndog role | will continue “political iaaues by ‘keeping, “his nose out" of debates on "ate whether tha program. complished what. it .was designed todo. “We're. not second guess management; Effectiveness ~ (of. a program) is the oppoition’s ; 4 two yeara of his retirement _ job." 4 trying to get the provinces to ~ value-for-money |. Oot, Before the federal Liberals endorsed the value-for- “Macdonell said, the aiditor ‘could report discrepancies between the ‘and the spent: © The traditional view was that government fears of “horror stories’ would act’. as a deterrent and motivate departments. . |. |. But, Macdonell: sald: “It just ain't" 2 The 1977 reforms, -"ehanged totally the - per- spective of the job.” © -- Since then, the ‘auditor- general's, office has. been given more independence and, through legislation, has -yaluefor-money tests to the government's books. =~ Ontarlo, Alberta, Britieh - Columbia and Prince Ed- ward Island have enacted legislation similar to the federal statute allowing their auditors wider powers. Macdonell’s newly-formed Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation” has the operations of public accounts committees and auditors across the country. The federal government has contributed $150,000 towa thestudy. ss ws Macdonell sald’ he . isn't worried that his broader rele for the auditor-general will . be lost. “We have a momentum built up that can’t be stopped now, no matter. who they appoint.” ee LETTERS TO THE EDITOR . Dear Sir: In the last telephone bill sent ta me, I found a pam- phiet discussing a few items of possible interest to the telephone consumér. It seems that such pamphlets are enclosed with every bill and topics ranging from the ‘latest lines in phone designs to the phonetic alphabet are mentioned. _In, the last piece of _ Propaganda that came with the telephone bill, 1 noticed an item of particular in- terest. It was entitied “We've Come A Long Way” and went on to discuss how the switchboard operator’s - job. - has changed _ dramatically. Photographs were included to illustrate how ‘much things had changed. Being a switchboard . Operator myself, I was a little surprised at how » Misleading the article was or could be. We may not have to “plug in” connecting parties on local calls, but we still have to. do so for long distance calls that cannot be diated directly: and. even some local calls in times of - difficulty. In Terrace, we operators do not-have the much more - ‘ sophisticated | machinery that is shown in the more. recent photo. In fact, what we work with in almost an exact replica of what is shown in the 1916 photo, with a few modern attachments (such as push button dialing and ‘a lighter, more streamlined headset). So dear Editor, publi¢ and _B.C. Telephone consumer, take all that B.C, Tel . Propaganda that's included with your phone bill with 4 grain of salt. cosy . Aclosecousin ofthe i916 operator ~ E CONNECTION, WED BETTER trythg to approach . in 1977, . only report’ :