TRADE  MARKS  283

did  an  enormous  business  in  lard  with  Brazil.
The  cans  which  they  used  for  export  purposes
were  a  gaudy  blue  color  and  decorated  with  a
pig  of  elephantine  proportions.  For  economic ­
  reasons  they  decided  to  use  plain  tin
cans,  stamping  the  porker  in  relief  thereon,
but  preserving  his  pachyderm  proportions.
The  result  was  a  package  equally  as  good,  as
far  as  shipping  purposes  were  concerned,  with
a  saving  of  about  two  cents  on  each  one.  As
a  consequence  of  the  alteration  the  merchant
was  absolutely  unable  to  sell  the  goods  shipped
in  the  new  container,  and  when  later  on  the
manufacturers  tried  to  regain  the  field
which  they  lost,  by  sending  their  former  tins,
the  natives  were  sure  that  they  were  being  deceived ­
  and  refused  to  buy  these  goods  also.
Competitors  who  had  eagerly  sought  this
market  took  advantage  of  the  situation  and  the
Maryland  house  was  completely  shut  out  of
the  territory  and  absolutely  lost  their  business.
Another  illustration  may  serve  to  impress
the  importance  of  maintaining  your  trade
mark  in  its  entire  originality.  The  Chinese