[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
(7737)
No. 1.
223
[March 9,]
SECTION 1,
Sir,
Foreign Office to Board of Trade.
Foreign Office, March 9, 1906. With reference to the letter from this Office of the 29th January last, inclosing copy of a despatch to His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington, in regard to the objection raised by the American Minister at Peking to section 25 of the proposed Regulations for the registration of trade-marks in China, I am directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit herewith, for the observations of the Board of Trade, copy of the reply of the United States' Secretary of State to the note addressed to him by Sir M. Durand on the subject.*
It will be seen that twenty applications for registration of trade-marks have been made by American firms in China, and it is feared that their interests may suffer if section 25 comes into force. The United States' Government accordingly propose an amendment to the section.
The effect of the amendment is not clear to this Department, and it is not evident in what way it would safeguard the rights of parties, who may have good ground for opposing the applications of the twenty United States' citizens referred to.
I am to suggest, for the consideration of the Board, that the difficulty of protecting both the priority rights of those citizens and the rights of British subjects who might wish to oppose their applications, might be met by making the period during which opposition might be made to the applications date from the time when the Regulations come into force.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
* Sir M. Durand, No. 31, February 22, 1906,
[1906 -1]
E. GORST.