§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade, in the light of the growing industry of firms in Indonesia and other Asian countries, exporting to the United Kingdom and other countries of the world, exact replicas, including trade names, of some of the most famous British products, if he will take action to deal with these matters.
§ Mr. ParkinsonWith our EC partners we are working for an agreement in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on measures to discourage the importation of counterfeit goods into signatory countries. Developing countries are encouraged at every opportunity to accede to the Paris International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
This convention enables British firms to take out patents and register their trade marks and additionally obliges member States to provide protection against any act of competition contrary to honest practice in industrial and commercial matters. There are 90 member States, including Indonesia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea; Hong Kong is also bound by its provisions.
British manufacturers are therefore urged to protect their products by taking out patents and registering their trade marks in overseas countries. Protection against the sale of counterfeit goods in the United Kingdom is provided through a range of domestic legislation covering trade descriptions and health and safety factors. The Government are willing to make representations through diplomatic channels in support of British companies where there is evidence that their goods are being counterfeited. I have received no such evidence in respect of Indonesia.