THE LORD CHANCELLOR, in presenting a Bill for the registration of Trade Marks, said, that a measure on this subject had been promised in the early part of the Session. The necessity for the registration of trade marks had become apparent some years ago, and that necessity was still more apparent now, owing to the great increase of trade and commerce. At present, great difficulty was experienced in foreign countries by British subjects in proving that a trade mark had been registered in this country, and the law of foreign countries required, for the most part, that there should be a registration. It was to get rid of these difficulties, and grant further facilities for the registration of trade marks, that this Bill was introduced. For this purpose the Bill provided for the establishment of a register of trade marks, under the superintendence of the Commissioners of Patents. The trade mark must be registered as belonging to a particular class of goods, and the first person registered as proprietor would be primâ facie entitled to the exclusive use of such trade mark.
§ Bill to establish a Register of Trade Marks presented by the LORD CHANCEL-LOB; read 1a; to be printed; and to be read 2a on Monday next. (No. 167.)
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.