§ 18. Sir D. Campbellasked the President of the Board of Trade the average time which elapses after an applicant for a patent has asked for a hearing by the Comptroller of the Patent Office until the hearing is granted.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftThe time between the receipt of the request and the date of the hearing is usually about four weeks, including the period of at least 10 days' notice, which the Comptroller must give under the Patent Rules.
§ 19. Sir D. Campbellasked the President of the Board of Trade the average time which an applicant for a patent has to wait, from the date when a hearing takes place before the Comptroller of the Patent Office, until the Comptroller's decision is communicated to him.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftIn the large majority of cases the decision is given at the hearing. When the decision is deferred and given later in writing, or when the applicant asks for confirmation of the decision in writing, the average time between the hearing and the issue of the written decision is now about three weeks. I assume that my hon. Friend refers to cases in which the applicant asks to be beard on official objections and not to 992 hearings in proceedings in opposition to the grant of a patent brought by a third party.