H.—lo

1914. NEW ZEALAND.

PATENTS, DESIGNS, AND TRADE-MARKS. TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR.

/'resented to both Senses of tie (-feneral Assembly pursuant to Section US of the Patents, Dtxiyns, and Trade-marks Act, 1911.

In pursuance of the requirements of the Patents, Designs, and Trade-mai ks Act, I have the honour to submit my report on the proceedings thereunder during the year. Though slightly higher than last year, the number of applications shows little change during the past few years, 2,627 being received in 1913 as compared with 2,560 in 1912 and 2,622 in the preceding year. The applications added each year to those previously recorded involves, however, a steady increase in the work of the office, which, owing to the scattered and restricted accommodation, is carried out under very unfavourable conditions. While these have been somewhat improved the need for suitable piemises is so acute as to seriously threaten the efficiency of the oflicc, and it is satisfactory to know that suitable accommodation to meet the requirements of the staff and public, as well as of the library and records, is likely to be shortly provided. Although the number of applications received year by year docs not vary much, the revenue shows a continual increase, being .£7,113 7s. for last year, £356 19s. Id. more than in 1912, ami considerably higher than in any previous year. The expenditure was slightly less than in 1912, amounting to £2,972 os. 3d., of which £1,053 18s. "_M was for work done and stationery supplied by the Government Printing Office. The expenditure last year was 41 per cent, of the revenue; for 1912, 14 per rent.; for 1911, 37 per cent. Patents . The number of applications was 1,775 —slightly more than in 1912. Of these, 1,080 were accompanied by provisional specifications and 686 by complete specifications, while 285 complete specifications were left in respect of applications with which provisional specifications had previously been lodged, making a total for the year of 2,051 specifications, as compared with 2,046 in 1912. The proportion of complete specifications to provisional specifications lodged in the first instance in each of the past five years is as follows —60 per cent., 61 per cent., 64 per cent., 78 per cent., 63 per cent. —or an average for that time of 65 per cent., as compared with 49 per cent. in Great Britain and 74 per cent, in Australia for the same period. The total number of applications received up to the 31st December last was 34.191, and the number of patents then in force 3,411. The fees in connection with patents amounted to £5,762 12s. 3d., as compared with £5,543 10s. lid. for 1912, an increase of ,£219 Is. 4d.— partly accounted for by a fee of £1 being payable on complete specifications during the whole of last year instead of only for six months of i 912, and by a slight increase in the fees for the second term, £1,325, as compared with £1,290, as well as for the somewhat greater amounts received for copying and certifying copies. The sealing fees show a slight falling-0ff—.£1,426 (£l,s72)*—and also the fees of '.£lO for the third term of letters patent—£l,ooo (£1,060).

* The figures in parentheses throughout this report relate to the year 1912.

I—H. 10.