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1892. NEW ZEALAND.

PATENTS, DESIGNS, AND TRADE-MARKS. (THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 128 of " The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1889."

In compliance with the provisions of "The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1889," I have the honour to-report as follows on the business of the Patent Office during the year ended 31st December, 1891 :— 2. The appendix to this report contains the following returns :— A. Statement of revenue and expenditure. B. List of the staff and salaries. 0. Eeturn of applications for patents in each year from 1861 to 1889. D. Eeturn of provisional and complete specifications received in 1890 and 1891. E. Classified return of applications to register trade-marks during 1890 and 1891. 1 , , Nature of inventions for which letters patent applied for during 1891. G. Total number of applications relative to patents, designs, and trade-marks during 1890 and 1891. H. List of applications for letters patent in 1891, not included in last report. 1. Eeturn showing from what countries and colonies applications for letters patent have been received during 1890 and 1891. J. Eeturn showing from what countries and colonies applications for registration of trademarks have been received during 1890 and 1891. K. List of publications in the Patent Office Library. 3. No appeals have been made during the year against my decisions. 4. During the year 2,274 letters and memoranda were despatched. I would again urge upon applicants the necessity of ascertaining the simple requirements of the Act and regulations before forwarding their applications. This would save them both time and disappointment, and much needless work to this office. Eecently a case occurred in which an applicant for a patent had his papers returned to him no less than four times before he could or would complete his application in compliance with the Act, &c, and protection of his invention was delayed nearly three months through his negligence. Probably many think these requirements are unnecessary and vexatious, but they are really for the benefit of the inventor, and in order to give him a valid patent. A faulty specification is worse than useless, it is mischievous—as many have found to their cost when they entered into litigation. This applies also to applications to register trade-marks. 5. It is impossible with the present staff to make a thorough search in order to ascertain whether the invention is a novelty. The records of this office are to a limited extent referred to, but the heavy task of searching the specifications received from other countries and colonies, and deposited in the Museum, cannot be undertaken by the Patent Office, and the responsibility is thrown upon the applicants to search for themselves, or to employ an agent to do so. 6. The Patent Office Library at the Museum is now in good order, and the number of visitors is increasing. 7. A collection of models for the Patent Office would be of great utility; but at present there is no accommodation for them. 8. Very few persons subscribe for the Patent Office supplement to the New Zealand Gazette, which gives particulars of applications relative to patents and trade-marks from all English-speak-ing countries, and occasionally from other places. Business men of all kinds would derive benefit from and be interested in the perusal of this useful publication. The newspapers having discontinued publishing applications for patents, it is the more important that the Gazette should be perused. 9. This colony has given its adhesion to the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Under this the subjects of each of the contracting States enjoy, as regards

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