[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
451
# CHINA TRADE.
## CONFIDENTIAL.
[28035]
No. 1.
32382
NEL?
4 908
[August 12.]
## SECTION 1.
Sir,
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.-(Received August 12.)
Board of Trade, August 11, 1908.
I AM directed by the Board of Trade to refer to your letter of the 15th ultimo, transmitting copy of a letter from the Manchester Chamber of Commerce containing observations on the proposed Anglo-Japanese Convention respecting the protection of trade-marks in China and Corea, and asking what answer should be returned to the Chamber.
In reply, I am to state that, in the opinion of the Board, the amended draft Convention and the Declaration which it is proposed should be appended thereto on the part of Japan will meet most of the points raised in the letter from the Chamber. "The comments of the Chamber on the proportion between the number of British trade-marks registered in Japan and the number in use in China and Corea, registered in England and unregistered, appear to be beside the mark in a consideration of the question whether the Convention should be entered into in the interests of this country. The real point is whether England or Japan will gain by an agreement under which the Japanese Consular Courts should protect trade-marks registered in Japan by Britishers, and the English Consular Courts trade-marks registered in Great Britain by Japanese, and, in this connection, it may be pointed out that the number of trade-marks registered by Britishers in Japan is undoubtedly much greater than the trade-marks registered by Japanese in the United Kingdom.
The Board would, however, suggest, for the consideration of Sir E. Grey, that a reply to the Chamber might be delayed until the amended draft is in the hands of the Japanese Government, when it would be possible to furnish the Chamber with a copy, together with a copy of the draft Declaration, and direct their attention to the terms of these documents as showing that much of their criticism had been met beforehand.
I am, &c. (Signed) T. H. W. PELHAM.
[1904 ...]
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