SIR GILBERT PARKERI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he can inform the House as to the extent to which the new Patent Act has led to arrangements for the manufacture of patented articles in this country which were formerly made abroad.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEIt is, of course, too early at present for me to gauge the full extent to which the Act 1418 has already led to the making of the arrangements indicated by the hon. Member: but I am satisfied from the information which I have received from a variety of sources, that the Act has already had a great effect in bringing home to patentees, who have hitherto been working their patents exclusively abroad, the necessity of establishing works in this country for carrying on their inventions in order to protect their patents from revocation or infringement, and I have every reason to believe that before the end of August next, when the section relating to this question will come into force, the effect of the Act in this respect will have been very considerable.
SIR GILBERT PARKERDoes the right hon. Gentleman know of any definite cases where foreign firms have already made arrangements by the purchase of land, and so on?
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEOh, yes, I know several cases.