No. 4.
Washington, February 11, 1873.
To the Diplomatic and Consular Officers of the United States:
Persons in foreign countries desiring to submit inventions of any kind to the consideration or examination of the Government of the United States must address, in writing, the “Secretary of the Interior, (Patent-Office,) Washington, United States of America.”
They must give a description of the invention, and must state whether or not they expect or intend to ask any compensation whatsoever.
No expense incurred in connection with the invention, or its presentation, will be considered as giving any claim whatever to compensation, or to indemnification.
The Government of the United States will assume no responsibility whatever, whether for loss of time, for services, for expenses of any kind, for loss or injury to any models, drawings, or other things, or for any cause whatsoever in connection with the invention or its presentation, unless the same may have been specially and distinctly authorized in writing, under the signature of the Secretary of the Interior, and in this case the responsibility of the Government will be limited to the amount named in his letter authorizing the same.
No claim for indemnification or for compensation will be entertained, unless accompanied by such letter of the Secretary of the Interior as is contemplated in the preceding paragraph; and no indemnification or [Page 31] compensation will be allowed to any inventor, or other person presenting an invention, unless there be an appropriation by Congress authorizing such payment.
No indemnification or compensation will be made in any case, unless the invention be adopted, or some advantage inures therefrom to the public service of the United States; and the Government of the United States, through its appropriate department, will, in all cases, be the sole judge on these points.