§ Read a second time.
§ Resolved, "That this House will immediately resolve itself into the Committee on the Bill."—[Mr. Gulland.]
219§ Bill accordingly considered in Committee.
§ [Mr. WHITLEY in the Chair.]
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Clause 1 stand part of the Bill."
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Runciman)I wish to make one statement on which I have had many inquiries. I wish to give those who own patents in foreign countries the assurance which they require. They have asked whether we propose to completely confiscate the rights of aliens in the patents which they have exercised previously in this country. The object of the Act and the Amending Bill is to suspend, and not to destroy. I should like to state emphatically that throughout the period of the War it would be competent for the Government to take the royalties which are payable to the alien patent owners. They could hold these royalties, and if on the conclusion of the War we found that Germany and Austria were cancelling the patents held by our people in their countries, we should, of course, have to find it necessary to deal similarly with patents held by aliens in this country. If, however, Germany and Austria agree to keep alive, after the conclusion of the War, patents held by British subjects, we on our part would be prepared to keep alive patents in this country held by German and Austrian subjects. We have, however, taken power, when we are issuing a licence to a British subject to exercise a patent in this country, to issue that licence not only for the period of the War but also for the full period of the patent, so that those manufacturers who did take up these licences would have some justification for feeling that throughout the life of the patent their property would not be jeopardised.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill reported without Amendment; read the third time, and passed.