Mr. David Adamsasked the President of the Board of Trade whether steps are being considered to reform the patent system in this country, either in the direction of compulsory dedication of scientific discoveries to the public, or otherwise, so as to ensure to the public the benefits of discoveries made in scientific laboratories and to prevent the undesirable exploitation, inter alia, of patent drugs?
§ Captain Wallace:Section 38A of the Patents and Designs Acts, 1907 to 1932, already contains special provisions designed to make medical patents more readily available to the public. Proposals for the amendment of the law by making compulsory the "dedication" of medical patents were fully considered by a Departmental Committee on the Patents and Designs Acts in 1931, who reported against any such amendment. The reasons for their conclusion are stated in paragraphs 185–201 of their report (Cmd. 3829), to which I would refer the hon. Member, and there appears to be no sufficient grounds for re-opening the question of amending the Patent Law in this respect.