§ 21. Mr. GRETTONasked if any competent expert has been appointed to advise the Post Office as to the registration and validity in various countries of the Marconi patents included in the proposed Marconi contract?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs I stated in reply to a supplementary question by the hon. Member on the 31st ultimo, the most careful inquiries will be made before any royalty is paid under the Marconi Contract. I have not yet decided on the form of inquiry.
§ Mr. ARNOLD WARDHas the right hon. Gentleman conveyed to the House that he has been negotiating for royatlies for the use of patents involving large sums of money for upwards of two years without consulting the opinion of a patent expert as to whether the patents have been duly registered in the various countries, and are valid?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe registration of patents is of importance to the company, and it is for their protection. When the claim for royalties is made if they have no patents they will receive no royalties.
§ 22. Mr. GRETTONasked at what price the United States Marconi Company offered to build for the United States Government at Panama high-power stations; and whether they were of greater power than those asked for by the British Government, and whether with or without royalty?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI have no information on the points mentioned by the hon. Member.
19. Captain FABERasked the Postmaster-General if he will state whether the royalty to be paid to the Marconi Company in respect of the British East Africa station is to be the full 10 per cent. without any reservation as to the use of different parts of the Marconi patent; whether he has made any estimate of the sum likely to accrue to the Marconi Company in respect of the British East Africa station; and whether it can be regarded as a fair bargain to make this concession to the company in exchange for their offer to split the 10 per cent. at other stations of the Imperial chain?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe royalty payable to the Marconi Company in 1032 respect of the East African station will be divisible in the same way as the royalty in respect of other stations. I am unable to give any reliable estimate of the amount involved, as this will depend on the quantity of traffic and the rates chargeable to the public, which have not yet been fixed. I think the bargain under which I have agreed to pay royalty in respect of the East African station as in respect of the other stations in return for the splitting up of the royalty among the main classes of patents in al the stations of the chain is an advantageous one.