THE NEW BRITISH PATENT ACT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12027, 31 October 1904, Page 10

THE NEW BRITISH PATENT ACT.

■ » Messrs Baldwin and Rayward, patent attorneys, write its as follower — "A large number "of your'readers who ore concerned in inventions will be intercrtctl to know that "the recommendations of the British Royal Commission, which was set up for the purpose of enquiring into and recommending -improvements in the patent law, will shortly take full effect. An amendment of the patent Acts carrying out their sMßgcsfKins will come into'force on tit© l«t January next. , , "An important alteration from the exiting taw. i» .the reduction of the term ift provisional protection from nine to six . months, but the most.important departure i 3 the provision for examination of applications us to novelty of the inventions for which patents are sought. "Under the existing Act, patent*? are granted to the applicant without regard to the novelty or oherwi.<»e of the , invention, but tinder the new Act a search -will be made in the British patent records for .. the preceding fifty years to ascertain if the invention has been anticipated. If there has been full anticipation, patent will not be granted, but, if the invention is only partly anticipated in prior patents, then "the applicant will i>e allowed to •amend and restrict li» claims, and will be granted patent for tho*e features of his invention which have not previously bec-n patented in Great Britain. " "The new law brings the practice very much into accord with th;it of the United Siatee. except that in the latter country examination is Jnadc in the German and British records as well as in the , records of the States office."