SELLING TRADE SECRETS TO EARN DOLLARS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 October 1947, Page 5

SELLING TRADE SECRETS TO EARN DOLLARS

I'cceivcd Alonday, 7.0 p.m. LONDON, Oct. £-0. Brilaiji is to sell some of lier trade sern-ts to Anit'i'ica ia lier drive to earu dollnrs. Lieut.-Colonel H. A. F. Disnev, tJirei-ior oi' administ rat ion j'or the Jiritish Lxport Trade Kesearch Orgauisation, lia.s sliitod tliat Ameriean manuliU'turers have asked to acquire "knovv hows" iu Briinin 's steel industrv, plast i*, '-oi t oa and woolJen goods. JUany Bnlish manufacturers have also approached the organisation offering lo sell "know hows ' ' iu produciiig unshrinkable woollens, a soot destroyer, a i'onn oi' boat coiistruction and a patentm! casior i'or furniture. The scheine to sell this iiiformation deals not only with Amerira but also aiiyoae wanting to liuy know hows ' ' iu eountries which, ;tt the nionmut, caniiot or wili uol taka British fmished pro'ducts. Lii-ut . ' 'oioind Disney said a ' ' know how" was i'ar more than a pateut oovering an invuiition. Ai'ter buying a jialfiit it might taka live years to learn to maiiui'aeture it cconomieally. A "know how" agreeinent included special inforniation on production kinks, supplv of machinery -and sale of vitiil paris. There was no danger, lie insist od, of this beeoming a competitive I'ooiiict ang sincc "know how" agreeincnts iindudc a clause restricting export i'roni the buying eountry. He .slrongly dctiicd British suggestions that the Brit ish Kxport Trade Research Organisation was advising nianufaeturcrs to sell tlieir trade secrcts "for a iiicss of pottage ' \ " It is jiotliiug of the sort," lie said. "Advice to dispose of "know hows" on a rovalty basis is only given where it is impractieable to mako visible export.