§ 3. Sir J. D. REESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give any information regarding the action of the United States in the direction of amending the American patent laws so as to provide for the protection of lace designs; whether any international action is contemplated; whether Great Britain has taken any and, if so, what action in this behalf; and what answer has been received to a protest, believed to have been made by his instructions, by His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington, against Section 3, Sub-section (v.), of the 769 Underwood Tariff Bill, whereby the Secretary to the Treasury is authorised to exclude merchandise, in respect of which importers into the United States refuse to submit to the inspection of a duly accredited officer documents relating to valuation?
§ Mr. ACLANDI have ascertained from His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington that there is a Bill before the United States Congress making it an offence for any person knowingly to sell, use, deliver, etc., designs, labels, trade marks, etc., in colourable likeness of those used by legal proprietors. In its general scope the Bill is on the lines of the Merchandise Marks Act of this country. It is doubted, however, whether there is any prospect of the Bill being considered this Session. I understand that certain countries which belong to the "Fédération Internationale des Comités permanents d'Expositions" were recently invited by a Swiss institution to join in an application to the United States Government with regard to the United States' rules for the protection of patterns, etc., but as this country is not a member of the Fédération, His Majesty's Government were not included in the invitation, and I do not know what the result of such application, if any, has been. His Majesty's Government hear, however, that there is an intention on the part of the United States Department of State to secure the enactment of a law providing full protection for foreign inventions, designs, etc., at the San Francisco Exhibition in 1915. As regards the latter part of the hon. Member's question no reply has yet been received by His Majesty's Government to the representations made by His Majesty's Ambassador on the subject of the new Tariff Bill in the United States. I understand that other Governments have also made representations on the subject of Section 3, Sub-section (U.).