§ (7.28.) THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central, in asking leave to bring in a Bill to amend the law with reference to applications for Patents and Compulsory Licenses and other matters connected therewith, said the Bill was based on the recommendations of a Committee appointed by the Board of Trade in 1900 to inquire into the working of the Patent Act respecting a great variety of questions. The recommendations of the Committee with reference to one matter were carried out by a Bill passed last session. The other recommendations had reference to matters of somewhat greater difficulty and complexity. One of these was the question of examining the specifications of letters patent previously granted in the United Kingdom. The other was that of granting compulsory licences. He did not think that it was necessary for him at this stage of the proceedings to explain or justify the provisions of the measure further than to say that they followed very closely the recommendations of the Committee, which were unusually detailed and precise, and that the Bill he was asking leave to introduce was a translation of those recommendations into the language of an Act of Parliament. He was aware that public opinion with respect to the recommendations was not absolutely unanimous, but he had thought it better that the Bill should follow closely the lines of them. It would be well to allow a considerable interval to elapse between the First and Second Reading of the Bill, in order to give those interested in the question an 920 opportunity of studying the provisions. He would undertake on his part to consider most carefully and with an open mind any considerations that might be made to him.
§ (7.30.) MR. HEBERT LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)I am glad to know that the Government intend to introduce a Bill upon this important subject. It is, of course, too early a stage to pronounce anything in the way of a definite opinion upon the Bill which the Government now ask leave to introduce. I am glad to hear that the right hon. Gentleman proposes to follow the recommendations of the Committee which sat to consider this matter, and I am still better pleased to hear that the Government propose to allow a considerable interval between the First and Second Reading of the Bill in order that the opinion of the commercial community may be obtained with regard to it. There is no doubt that the present law is in great need of amendment. There are few subjects in which the commercial world is more interested than in the inferiority of the patent system of the United Kingdom as compared with other countries, and more particularly as compared with the United States. I am sure that we shall all look forward with the greatest interest to the provisions of the Bill, and I again desire to thank the right hon. Gentleman for his promise to allow a long interval between the First and Second Reading. I trust that interval will not be too long, and I hope that the Government will be able to carry through this measure during the present session in a form that will be acceptable to the commercial world at large.