HC Deb 24 June 1986 vol 100 cc142-3W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of trade names registered at 31 December 1985.

Mr. Pattie

Approximately 260,000 trade marks were registered at 31 December 1985.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state (a) the number of new trade names registered during 1985, (b) the number of trade name registrations renewed during 1985, and (c) the number of trade name registrations which expired and were not renewed during 1985.

Mr. Pattie

The number of new marks registered in 1985 was 16,154 and the number of registrations renewed was 14,098. A total of 8,578 registrations expired and were not renewed during 1985.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the service offered by the trade marks branch of the Patent Office of supplying to certain public libraries paper copies of trade names submitted for registration was introduced; when this service was discontinued; why it was discontinued; and which public libraries had been receiving those lists of trade names and their owners.

Mr. Pattie

The Trade Marks Registry started to provide certain public libraries with paper index slips of marks in word form (not pictorial marks) in 1958. The service was discontinued in 1980 because it could not be justified against the constraints on Patent Office resources. The list of public libraries which had been receiving the index slips is as follows:

Libraries to receive word mark index slips

  1. 1. Aberdeen City Library
  2. 2. Central Library, Belfast
  3. 3. Birmingham Reference Library
  4. 4. Dublin Public Library
  5. 5. Glasgow Commercial Library
  6. 6. Hatfield Polytechnic Library
  7. 7. Central Library, Hull
  8. 8. Central Library, Leeds
  9. 9. Central Library, Liverpool
  10. 10. City Business Library, London
  11. 11. Central Library, Manchester
  12. 12. County Library, Nottingham
  13. 13. Sheffield City Library
  14. 14. Central Library, Wolverhampton

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if all registered trade names are now held on computer; and if it is technically possible to print out these trade names on microfiche.

Mr. Pattie

All registered trade marks are now held on computer. It would be technically possible after a further development programme to print out details of the registrations on microfiche.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will produce on microfiche, a list of the trade names on the register, with the name and address of the owners, the date of the first registration, and the registration number; if he will ensure that it is regularly updated, in a way similar to the updates provided for the microfiche directory of companies; and if he will make it his policy to sell this information at a reasonable price to libraries and others; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Pattie

I do not plan to produce this information on microfiche. The Government have announced that the Patent Office is to be established as a non-departmental public body. I think it right that the new office should be left free to decide what services it can provide within its general remit to promote awareness of intellectual property and to commercialise its resources and expertise for the benefit of industry and commerce.