LAW AND ORDER
241
Trade Marks and Patents. The Trade Marks Ordinance, 1954, is based on the Trade Marks Act, 1938, but there are some variations.
During the year 1,073 new trade marks were placed on the Register, as against 978 in 1956. Registrations are valid for seven years (14 years if registered prior to Ist January, 1955), but may be renewed indefinitely for further periods of 14 years. There were 13,862 trade marks on the Register on 31st December, 1957.
Hong Kong law does not provide for the original grant of patents, but patents registered in the United Kingdom are registrable under the Registration of United Kingdom Patents Ordinance (Cap. 42). This provides that the grantee of a patent in the United Kingdom may, within five years from the date of issue of the patent, apply to have it registered in Hong Kong. During the year 67 registrations. were effected.
Bankruptcies and Liquidations. Ten bankruptcy petitions were filed, of which two were withdrawn and two set down for hearing after the close of the year. Receiving Orders were made in the other six cases, but in two of these the Orders were subsequently rescinded. The Official Receiver was appointed Trustee in all four remaining cases, in which the estimated liabilities totalled about $232,000. There were four petitions for the compulsory winding-up of companies, two of which were adjourned sine die and one withdrawn. In the remaining case, that of an import-export company with estimated liabilities of about $164,000, a Winding-Up Order was made, and the Official Receiver appointed Liquidator. The welcome decline in the number of new cases has enabled good progress to be made on arrears of work relating to bankruptcies and liquidations which originated in previous years.
Marriages. All marriages, except non-Christian customary marriages, are governed by the provisions of the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 181). Under this, it is necessary for a notice