REINFORCEMENT BADGES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 103, 24 January 1918, Page 6

REINFORCEMENT BADGES

'A ca36 oi .tome interest to those selling reinforcement badges came before. Air. S. E M'Carthy, S.M., in the Magistral's Court yesterday morning, when Arnold Ashworth Binns, maaulacturing jtwcller, and Eldon K. S. N-ail, manager for Binns at Trentham, vero charged under the Patent Designs ai'd Trace Marks Act, 1911, that about Augic-t. 1917, at Trentham, they did ialselv describe a design—a bad?e willed "Hold Fast" applied to nn article sold by them—as registered in . New Zealand, and the same with respect to a badge "Twepty-ninth Reinforcements."

Chief-Deieclive Boddam, who prosecuted, after detailing the circumstances, 'stated that the defendants erred in ignomrce, and it was not desired to p-ess for a heavy penalty.

Mr. P. W. Jackson, who appeared for Binns, explained that his client made these bndi;ps. In November, 1916, he applied at. the Patents Office to register ;i desigii, and paid the fees, for wh'.ih fi receipt was given, and later received a oortificato with- the registered number, but prior to the receipt of the lattci had begun manufacturing. In respect to the designs, the subject of the charge, application was niajK', and fee* paid, but the certificate had not been received. Binns had merely followed the course he had adopted previously, and at most had been guilty of a technical offence. It was not a cate for a fine, and counsel contended that it was not even a case for convicl'on. On behalf of Neil, Mr. F. E. Ward said that Neil was tho manager for Binns at Trentham, nnd sold t!io badges as he received them. He naturally believed that everyth'ng was ic order. Both defendants were convicted and discharged. The prcßWiitiun was instituted as n warning to others.