CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 131

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[12623]

No. 1.

[April 3.]

SECTION 1.

』";

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.~(Received April 3.)

(No. 68.) Sir,

Peking, February 15, 1909. IN the course of correspondence relative to an alleged infringement by Chinese at Foochow of a British patent lamp known as the "Kitson" light, allusion was made by the manufacturers' agents in China to a Proclamation issued by the Canton authorities forbidding the imitation of this article at that port, and it was requested that the Foochow authorities should take similar action.

The information as to what had occurred at Canton proved to be incorrect, and it appeared to me desirable to collate, for future use, the various cases in which Consular representations have led to measures on the part of the Chinese authorities to prohibit the imitation of trade-marks and patents.

I accordingly called for reports on the subject, and have the honour to incloso a copy of that received from His Majesty's Consul-General at Shanghae,* from which it will be seen that, whenever application has been made warning people against the infringement of any British trade-mark, the Taotai has always acceded promptly to the request, and that the effect of the Proclamations has not only been excellent in checking imitations, but has also been to provide a valuable advertising medium for the trade- mark or patent affected.

The remaining reports which have reached me so far either show that no occasion has arisen for invoking the assistance of the Chinese authorities or that the local Taotai has always responded satisfactorily to the appeal.

Amongst the Proclamations issued by the Shanghae Taotai, the one forbidding infringements of Messrs. Price and Co.'s candle packets is noteworthy, as complaints of such imitations at Ningpo were brought to my notice last summer, and the provincial authorities of Chekiang were called upon by the Board of Commerce to report on the facts of the case. The Board, however, expressed the view that no infringement had taken place, and I have not yet learnt from the Acting British Consul at Ningpo whether he has succeeded in obtaining the issue of an injunction

or not.

I have called for a report from the Acting Consul on the subject.

I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.

* Not printed.

[2236 c-1]

129