IMPORTED INVENTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14766, 23 August 1911, Page 8

IMPORTED INVENTIONS.

NOT TO BE PROTECTED.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Tuesday. An interesting point in connection with inventions and patent law was discussed in the House of Representatives this af tornoon, when the Hon. J. A. Millar's Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Bill was in committee. The interpretation clause of the Bill included in the definition of an inventor and an applicant for letters patent the legal representative of a deceased inventor or applicant, and this was adopted.

» The Minister proposed a new clause, providing that " truo and first inventor" should include " the nominee or assignee of the actual inventor, and the first importer of a new invention from outside New Zealand."

Mr. J. Stallworthy (Kaipara) considered that no protection should be given to the importer of an invention, nor in the case of an invention which was in common use at the time of the application for patent rights to the original inventor. The Minister argued that a person who introduced into the Dominion a new idea, and torE the risk of developing it, was entitled to protection. The Leader of the Opposition objected, and said that the clause would encourage plagiarism. . Such a provision would encourage an inventor to go abroad, and having sucked the brains of the world would return to New Zealand, and exploit ideas for which protection in New Zealand had not been secured.

Eventually the Minister agreed to with-, draw the proposal regarding imported in.yentioAa.. *