§ Lieut.-Colonel JAMESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total number of claims under Head I heard before the Commission for Awards to Inventors; how many of these claimants have been compelled to take legal proceedings in the High Courts to establish the validity of their patents; and in how many cases have the Treasury succeeded in preventing such claims from being presented?
§ Mr. McNEILLI am informed that the total number of claims under Head I heard before the Royal Commission on Awards to inventors is 59. In four of these cases the validity and/or infringement of the patent has been disputed: in two of them proceedings in the High1638W Court have been necessary: in the other two the Commission itself has, by consent of the interested parties, adjudicated on the validity and/or infringement. In many other cases, the Commission has dealt with the matter broadly with the consent of both sides, considering the general merits of the invention and all the circumstances of the case
There are also certain cases in which the patentee finding that the validity and/or infringement of the patent was denied or that there was a doubt on one or both of these points, has abandoned his patent rights, if any, and applied for an ex gratia award under Head III. It would be impossible, without a large expenditure of time and labour to ascertain the number of these cases.