§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent industrial property rights such as patents, trade marks and copyright under English law as it stood in 1972 have been affected by Common Market legislation.
§ Sir G. HoweIndustrial property rights such as patents, trade marks and copyright are preserved by the Rome Treaty and will continue to subsist under the existing United Kingdom laws subject to Common Market rules on competition. Article 85 of the Rome Treaty and the regulations made there under prohibit in general agreements and practices which distort trade or affect competition.
A Community patent convention is currently being negotiated which will provide for a unitary patent running throughout the Community. It will remain possible, however, to obtain United Kingdom national patents.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in establishing a multi-State trade mark; and how many, and which countries are involved in attempting to reach with the United States a trade mark registration treaty.
§ Sir G. HoweWork by the six original member countries of the EEC on a draft convention for a multi-State trade mark covering the Community area ceased in 1964. It is possible that discussion on the draft will be resumed before long. All the 80 member countries of the Paris Union, including the United Kingdom,288W the United States and European and Commonwealth countries, have been invited to a diplomatic conference in Vienna in May 1973 for the adoption of a trademark registration treaty. This will provide for a simplified central filing procedure for trade marks for which registration is sought in several States.