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1931. NEW ZEALAND.

PATENTS, DESIGNS, AND TRADE-MARKS. FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 128 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1921-22.

REPORT.

I have the honour, in accordance with section 128, to submit my report on the administration of the Act during the past year. A total of 3,537 applications was received for grant of letters patent and for the registration of designs and trade-marks, as against 3,522, 3,434, and 3,735 in the years 1927, 1928, and 1929 respectively. While there has been a decrease of 198 applications as compared with 1929, the number of applications received during the year under review is slightly larger than the average for the previous ten years. The total fees received in respect of patents, designs, and trade-marks was £14,195 15s. 7d., which constitutes a record for any one year since the inception of the Patent Office. Expenditure during the year amounted to £5,832 7s. 2d.—salaries, £3,892 4s. 9d., and printing and stationery, £1,572 17s. 3d., being the two main items under this head. The excess of receipts over expenditure for the year was £8,363 Bs. 5d., which is the highest surplus since 1922, bringing the total surplus of the Office since the Ist January, 1890, to £166,586 os. 2d. Patents. During the past year 2,103 applications were received in respect of the grants of patents, as compared with 2,251 in the previous year, a decrease of 148. There were 1,078 (992)* applications lodged accompanied by a provisional specification, and in 1,025 (1,259) cases a complete specification was lodged with the application. Applications to the number of 1,104 were lodged by applicants residing in New Zealand, while 999 applications were lodged by residents of other countries. As compared with 1929, New Zealand applications increased by 96, and applications from overseas decreased by 244. The most noticeable decrease in applications from overseas countries is in respect of Great Britain, the figures for 1929 and 1930 being 495 and 324 respectively, a decrease of 171. The number of applications in 1930 is, however, only slightly less than the average for the years 1924-28 (333-4). Germany, 50 (80), and United States of America, 197 (219), also show a decrease. Applications from the Commonwealth of Australia totalled 305, being 8 less than the total for 1929. During the year 256 (295) complete specifications were left in respect of applications in which provisional specifications had previously been filed. The total number of applications lodged up to and including the 31st December, 1930, was 66,230. The number of patents in force at the 31st December, 1930, was 8,444, made up as follows : Patents sealed and third-year fees paid, from the 31st December, 1927, to the 31st December, 1930, 3,761 and 2,032 respectively ; sixth-year fees paid from the 31st December, 1920, to the 31st December, 1930, 2,647 ; patents in respect of which an extension of their term has been granted by order of the Supreme Court, 4. In one case an application was made to the Supreme Court to extend the term of letters patent beyond sixteen years, and an extension of three years was granted. Restoration of lapsed patents to the Register was effected in 10 (5) cases. Two applications for sealing of letters patent after prescribed time were lodged, but sealing was not effected during the year. The fees from these two sources amounted to £121 (£162 10s.). Under the provisions of the Amendment Act of 1924, 3 (3) patents were endorsed " Licenses of Right." Patent fees received during the year amounted to £10,024 Is. 2d., being £276 19s. 2d. less than the previous year. With regard to applications under the various classes of inventions, the main increases occur in amusements, 72 (56) ; boxes, cans, and casks, 84 (58) ; cutting and sawing, 66 (49) ; engines (air, gas, and oil), 63 (47) ; and harvesting, 51 (34). Included in the decreases in applications are the following : Building-construction (three classes), 95 (133) ; electricity and magnetism, 121 (146) ; fibre-dressing, 22 (41) ; printing and photography, 37 (53) ; telephony, 233 (342) ; and vehicles, 112 (147).

* The figures in parentheses are for 1929.