CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 216

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The Dornment is the Property of His Prite ule Mejda

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[29081]

No. 1.

[September 10.]

SECTION 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir C. MacDonald,

(No. 185.) Sir,

Foreign Office, September 10, 1907. WITH reference to my despatch No. 157 of the 30th July last, I transmit to you herewith a copy of a letter from the Board of Trade, giving their observations on the communication received from the China Association, under date of the 25th July last, respecting the necessity of concluding an Agreement with Japan for the mutual protection of British and Japanese trade-marks in China.

Your Excellency will observe that the Board favour the suggestion of the China Association, and are of opinion that the Japanese traders who are using pirated marks of British firms in Japan will, when the Chinese Trade-mark Regulations come into force, claim, on the ground of user, concurrent protection at least, even if they do not attempt to oust the British trader from registering the marks in China. The Board consider the only means to prevent this lies in the conclusion of an Agreement with the Japanese Government for the mutual protection of British and Japanese trade- marks in China.

The Board have been informed, in reply, that Mr. Lowther has already been requested to approach the Japanese Government with that object in view. I should be glad, however, to learn how the matter now stands, and whether the negotiations for the conclusion of the proposed Convention are progressing satisfactorily. The matter is one which, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, calls for carly solution,

I am, &c. (Signed) E. GREY.

* Board of Trade, August 29, 1907.

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