§ Brought from the Commons.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 1ª.—(Lord Wimborne.)
§ On Question, Bill read 1ª, and to be printed.
§ LORD WIMBORNEMy Lords, in the absence of Lord Granard I have been asked to take charge of this Bill to-day. Its object is to amend the Act which your Lordships passed only recently dealing with patents and designs. That Bill, which is now on the Statute Book, had for its purpose the voidance and suspension 554 of patents enjoyed by the enemy, both with regard to such patents as affected the importation of articles made in enemy countries and also with regard to the manufacture of such articles by enemy aliens in this country. It now appears that the Act does not quite go the lengths which are desirable in the situation. Therefore the present Bill amends and extends the Act. It extends the Act to patents where an alien enemy benefits either directly or indirectly from the existence of a patent in this country, and it also covers the point about designs, which was omitted. But there is a further point about this Bill which will commend itself to the House. The object of our action in this respect is to enable British manufacturers to step into the place which has been heretofore guarded by enemy patents. It is felt that unless power exists to grant an unrestricted licence with regard to manufactures of this kind, business men will hesitate before expending large capital sums in laying down plant with the risk that at the determination of the war the licence might be revoked, and therefore the Board of Trade seek to take powers to grant licences to such manufacturers, if they think fit, for an unlimited period.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2ª.—(Lord Wimborne.)
§ On Question (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended), Bill read 2ª: Committee negatived: Bill read 3ª, and passed. (No. 277.)