German and Austrian Patents and the War

Progress, Volume X, Issue 4, 1 December 1914, Page 142

German and Austrian Patents and the War

It is possible to send applications for patents to Germany and Austria through neutral countries such as Switzerland and Holland. It is extremely likely, however, that such applications would not be dealt with until after the war, and possibly the sending is contrary to the law relating to dealing with the enemy. Arrangements have been made by the English Government, which has set aside a special room at the Patent Office where all documents, etc., may be deposited which in the usual state of affairs should be sent to Germany or Austria. These documents will, presumably, be retained at the British Patent Office until peace is declared, when probably the Peace Treaty will make provision for the validation by the enemy countries of what has been done through this medium. It cannot be said that this will certainly be the case, of course, no one can predict the ultimate arrangements for peace. Provision is also made for the receipt in a trust account opened in London of fees and taxes for keeping in force German and Austrian patents. These amounts will not be transmitted to the countries mentioned until after the Avar, but it is hoped, by persons in authority in England, that arrangements will subsequently be made whereby payments into the trust account will take effect as if they were payments on the same day into the Patent Offices of Vienna or Berlin. Under the above circumstances inventors still have the possibility of protecting their inventions in countries with which we are at war and of keeping their existing patents in force. During the war, patents of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand will not be granted to Germans or Austrians, but applications for patents may be filed by them and proceedings will be held in abeyance until peace is declared.