§ Sir W. BULLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction among patentees regarding the administration of the Patents and Designs Acts of 1907 and 1919; whether foes are being charged for the two years' extension of the life of patents granted under the Act of 1919 in disregard of the method prescribed in Section 65 of the Act of 1907; and whether he will appoint a Departmental Committee to receive evidence from recognised bodies such as the Institute of Patentees (Incorporated) to report with a view to removing these anomalies?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the fees charged for the 15th and 16th years of a patent, these are authorised by the Patents Rules, 1920, which Rules were laid before the House, and no Resolution for their annulment was proposed. I am not, therefore, as at present advised, prepared to adopt the suggestion made in the third part of the question.