§ Sir HENRY NORMANasked the Attorney-General the conditions under which His Majesty's Government may acquire and use for the public service patented articles and inventions?
Mr. BUXTONSection 29 of the Patents and Designs Act, 1907, provides that: "A Patent shall have to all intents the like effect as against His Majesty the King as it has against a subject. Provided: that any Government Department may, by themselves, their agents, contractors, or others, at any time after the application, use the invention for the ser-
vices of the Crown on such terms as may, either before or after the use thereof be agreed on, with the approval of the Treasury, between the Department and the patentee, or, in default of agreement, as may be settled by the Treasury after hearing all parties interested." Further provision is made under Section 30 of the Act for the assignment of the benefit of any invention relating to any improvement in instruments or munitions of war to the Secretary of State for War or the Admiralty, and in such cases a certificate may be issued authorising the Comptroller to keep the particulars of the invention and of the manner in which it is to be performed secret.