THE PATENT ACT.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1804, 2 December 1879, Page 2

THE PATENT ACT.

The following is from the “Post” of Friday:—When passing the Patent Act Amendment Bill th-ough committee last night, the Legislative Council expressed a strong opinion that the fees and charges in the taking out of patents should be made as low ns could possibly be afforded to prevent actual loss fo the State. A proposal was made that the Bill should be altered in this direction, but it was found that as patent fees went into the consolidated revenue, this was beyond the power of the Council. It was then proposed to reject the measure wholly, in order that a new Bill providing for a still further reduction of charges should be introduced into the Lower House. This was opposed by Mr Whitaker, who read a comparative table of the charges for patents in all English speaking countries, which showed that this colony occupied a medium position* the highest being Victoria. Mr Whitaker also pointed out that though the actual fees were not largely reduced by the new Bill, it provided that the charge for advertising inventions should be much lessened, so that the total expense inventors would in future be put to would bo only three -fifths of that now borne. After this explanation the Council passed the Bill.