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1893. NEW ZEALAND.

PATENTS, DESIGNS, AND TRADE-MARKS. (FOURTH 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, 1892 :— 2. The Appendix to this report contains the following returns : — A. Statement of revenue and expenditure. B. List of the staff and salaries. ' C. 'Eeturn of applications for patents in each year from 1861 to 1889, under Acts now repealed. D. Eeturn of provisional and complete specifications received in 1890, 1891, and 1892 under the Act of 1889. B. Classified return of applications to register trade-marks during 1890, 1891, and 1892. P. Nature of inventions for which letters patent have been applied for during 1892. G. Total number of applications relative to patents, designs, and trade-marks during 1890, 1891, arid 1892. H. List of applications for letters patent in 1892. I, Eeturn showing the countries and colonies from which applications for letters patent have been received during 1890, 1891, and 1892. J. Eeturn showing the countries and colonies from which applications for registration of trade-marks have been received during 1890, 1891, and 1892. K. List of publications in the Patent Office Library. 3. There have been two appeals to the Supreme Court from my decisions in opposed cases. In the first case my judgment was reversed, and in the other it was upheld. 4. Table G shows that the business of the office is steadily increasing. The revenue has also increased, being £1,825 in 1892, as against £1,759 in 1891. The excess of receipts over expenditure is £1,463, as against £1,367 in 1891. 5. I again urge that some, at least, of this surplus revenue should be spent for the benefit and encouragement of inventors, as indicated in previous reports. 6. It will be observed in Table I that applications for letters patent have been received this year from Denmark, Italy, and Japan for the first time under the present Act. 7. For much valuable information relative to the various applications made to the office, I beg leave to refer to the Patent Office Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette, published fortnightly. 8. The following countries and colonies have joined the International Convention for the Protection of Patentees' Eights and other purposes: Great Britain, United States, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Servia, Switzerland, Tunis, San Domingo, Guatemala, Brazil, New Zealand, and Queensland. Under this Convention any person who has secured protection in any one of the contracting States may, without danger of losing his rights through piracy, or prior publication, apply for letters patent in any of the other States within the period of seven months from his first application. Trade-marks are similarly protected for four months. It is hoped that other Australian Colonies will soon join. 9. Arrangements have been made between the Colony of Victoria and this colony for such reciprocal protection. 10. Attention is invited to the remarks and suggestions made in my report of last year, which still hold good. C. J. A. Haselden, Patent Office, Wellington, Ist May, 1893. Eegistrar of Patents, &c.

APPENDIX. A. Statement of all Fees, Salaries, Allowances, and other Moneys received and paid under the Act during the Year ending 31st December, 1892. Eeceived — £ s - d. Patent fees ... ••• • •'• ••• ••■ 1,519 14 0 Design fees ... ••• ••■ ••• ••• 5 10 0 Trade-mark fees • • • ■ • • • • • • • • 300 2 0 Total ... ... ... ... £1,825 6 0 I—H. 3. ~~