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JANUARY 2, 1926
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Laffargue Co., of New York, Will
Move to New Factory Plant on April 1
New Quarters Will Be at 457 East 147th Street, Giving Firm a Largely Increased Floor Space
for Manufacturing Operations—A Sketch of the Firm's Rapid Progress
was made this week by
A NNOUNCEMENT
Joseph Oktavec, president of the Laffargue
Co., New York, that on April 1 the company
will occupy new quarters at 457 East 147th
street, which will provide over 20,000 square feet
of floor space more than it occupies at the pres-
ent time. According to Mr. Oktavec, this move
As is well known, Mr. de Rochemont is one
of the most popular members of the industry,
and through his indefatigable efforts the name
of Laffargue has not only become well known
throughout every State in the Union but in
many foreign lands, including Australia, where
there are at present several thousand Laffargue
instruments in use. It was only last year that
Mr. de Rochemont completed a tour around
the world, at which time he visited many of the
Laffargue dealers in foreign countries. An-
other well-known member of the industry is the
secretary of the company, Fred G. Coryell, who
Max J. de Rochemont
has been necessitated by the continuous growth
in the demand for Laffargue pianos and player-
pianos, which has been particularly pronounced
since the advent of the Laffargue baby grand,
Joseph Oktavec
has been with the organization for several years.
It was during the last year, also, that H. J.
Oktavec, the oldest son of the president of the
company, entered the organization and is now
11
all times to our dealers, we have arranged to
occupy a factory which will give us over 20,000
square feet of additional space. The factory has
been previously used for the manufacturing
of pianos and is, consequently, admirably well
adapted to our purpose.
"We are very glad to report that during the
last year we have been steadily busy and we
are looking forward to a busy season through-
out the Winter."
New Bill Would Protect
Designs by Copyright Law
Measure Introduced by Representative Vestal
Provides for Registration of Designs in Copy-
right Office
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 28.—A bill re-
pealing the existing laws relating to design pat-
ents and transferring the registration of designs
of all kinds to the Copyright Office has been in-
troduced in Congress by Representative Vestal,
of Indiana.
Legislation of this character has been before
Congress for many years, many industries de-
siring the enactment of a measure. The prin-
cipal opponents have heretofore been the makers
of stoves and furnace parts. The music trade
and every industry in which design of product
is a factor would be affected by the bill.
The purpose of the bill is to encourage and
promote the production of artistic designs in the
United States, but furnishing adequate protec-
tion against piracy for artistic articles of manu-
facture. This is now afforded under the design
patents act, but that law is cumbersome and
affords little protection, and has become dis-
credited and largely disused.
The measure defines the term "design" to
mean an original conception in relation to a
manufactured product as to pattern, shape, or
form applied to or embodied in such product
for the purpose of ornamentation or decoration,
but not including any functional shape or form.
Under claim of copyright, registration can be
made upon a simple application filed by the
author of the design or his assignee, claiming
that the design as applied to the article de-
scribed in the application is original and other-
wise complies with the law. No examination as
to novelty or originality is required, according
to the new bill.
The protection secured is the exclusive right
to reproduce the copyrighted design and to sell
and use repioductions thereof embodied in or
applied to the manufactured product described
in the application registered or products of simi-
lar character.
Death of B. A. Emerson,
Akron Piano Merchant
H. J. Oktavec
which was put on the market during the last
year.
This will be the third time that the Laffargue
Co. has been compelled to move into larger
quarters owing to a continually growing busi-
ness. At the time the company was founded,
in 1896, a factory comprising 2,000 square feet
of floor space was occupied. By 1906 the com-
pany was occupying 40,000 square feet, and ten
years later was compelled to increase its floor
space to 54,000 square feet. It will, therefore,
be just ten years from that time that it will
move into its new factory, with an aggregate
floor space of approximately 75,000 square feet.
Mr. Oktavec is one of the best-known piano
manufacturers in the country and that his meth-
od of producing instruments has proved success-
ful is in no way better manifested than by the
constant growth of the company. In no smaller
degree has this been proof of the far-seeing and
progressive management of the sales and finan-
cial division of the business, which has, for
several years, been under the direct supervision
of Max J. de Rochemont, vice-president and
treasurer.
Head of B. A. Emerson Piano Co. Passes Away
After a Lengthy Illness—Formerly a Piano
Traveler
F. G. Coryell
learning the business in order to prepare him-
self to continue in his father's footsteps.
Regarding the new factory which will be oc-
cupied in April, Mr. de Rochemont stated to a
representative of The Review this week:
"We found that our business was increasing
to such proportions that we were continually
cramped for space in the plant which we now
occupy, and for this reason and in order to be
in a better position to render prompt service at
AKRON, O., December 28.—B. A. Emerson, widely
known Akron piano merchant, with a retail
store at 44 East Mill street, died Sunday night
of heart disease after an illness of five months.
He was fifty-seven years of age. Mr. Emerson
established himself in business here about
twelve years ago, after he had resigned as
traveling salesman for a piano manufacturing
concern for which he had traveled for many
years.
A short time prior to establishing the B. A.
Emerson Piano Co. in Akron Mrs. Emerson and
their two children were killed in a train wreck
in Munroeville, O.
The body was removed to the Gruber Mor-
tuary and was later taken to Munroeville for
burial.
M. A. Anrooney, of Georgetown, Wash., has
opened a branch music store in the new Renton
Theatre Building, Renton, Wash., handling a
full stock of musical instruments.