SUPPLY—REPORT. (Hansard, 13 May 1879)

§ MAJOR NOLAN

, before the Resolutions in Committee of Supply were reported, wished to draw the attention of the House to a matter connected with the Patent Office. A large sum of money was derived from the Patent Office; about five-sixths of the sums paid by the patentees went into the Imperial Exchequer, and about one-sixth was spent on the Patent Office itself. The books in that Office were kept in the most disgraceful state, whereas in America various abridgements of the patents were furnished. There were also good plans and printed books in America by which anyone could see what a patent was about by simply looking through the description and plan. About three years ago, abridgements were started in the Patent Office; but they had now been discontinued, as the form in which they were made rendered them of no use. These were never proper abridgements, and now they were abolished altogether; and if a man went into the Patent Office, he had to wade through a long 'patent of four or five pages to find out what it was about. That was a most discreditable thing, although it was very true that the Library was good in other respects, excepting that it was too small. There was hardly room in it for the present books and documents, and the whole thing was in a very bad state. He thought the Government ought to take care that proper abridgements were made; he did not insist upon plans as in America, but abridgements were absolutely necessary. The law in this country was somewhat different to that of America; for here a man claimed as being the true and original inventor, which was not the casa in America. If proper abridgements and plans were furnished, every person of common sense could find out at once what a patent was about; but, at the present moment, no one could make any investigations without the greatest difficulty. He was constantly told that American machinery and tools were better than those of this country; and, in his opinion, that was owing to the fact 328 that it was so difficult to find out anything with regard to patents. He thought that better machinery and a better Patent Law went together. Of course, some people might be of opinion that it would be best if the Patent Law were altogether abolished; he did not intend to argue that question; but all that was necessary, in his opinion, was that the Patent Law should be improved. He thought the Government should give some assurance that these matters should be looked into, and that the arrangements of the Patent Office should be put into a more scientific form, so that anyone could make investigations without being put to the great labour which was now entailed.

§ SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON

said, that the hon. and gallant Gentleman, than whom there was no one better acquainted with patent matters, brought this matter before the Government last year, and he had then promised to endeavour to make some improvement, and to place the Patent Office upon a better footing than existed at that time. Since that period he had sanctioned the appointment of a certain number of clerks in the Patent Office for the purpose of preparing proper indices. From that fact, the hon. and gallant Gentleman would perceive that the Government had every desire to effect an improvement. But he would remind him that everything could not be done at once. He could, however, assure him that the subject was not lost sight of, and that he would himself make inquiries into the question of abridgements and plans, and endeavour to see whether his views could be met. He fully agreed with him that it was of great importance to give every facility for readily ascertaining the existence of a patent, and that a great improvement might be made upon the means for so doing which at present existed.