XN000022-1979-03-14 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1979

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*THE EXTENDED BAN WILL COME INTO FORCE ON JULY 1 THIS YEAR,+ MR. JONES SAID.

+WORK IS ALSO PROCEEDING ON THE PREPARATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE NOISE ABATEMENT BILL AND THIS WILL, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PERMIT MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO BETTER CONTROL CONSTRUCTION NOISE DURING PERMITTED HOURS OF WORK.

+ I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BILL FORWARD DURING THE NEXT SESSION OF THIS COUNCIL,+ MR. JONES SAID.

WIDER PROTECTION FOR INVENTORS

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INVENTORS WISHING TO PROTECT THE IR INVENTIONS IN HONG KONG MAY SOON BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR A EUROPEAN PATENT IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIRED UNITED KINGDOM REGISTRATION TO GIVE THEM WIDER PROTECTION.

THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON. DAVID T.K. WONG SAID THIS IN MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PATENTS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1979 AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR. WONG SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL IS TO AMEND THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CHANGES INTRODUCED IN THE U.K. BY THE PATENTS ACT 1977 AND TO ALLOW FOR THE REGISTRATION OF BOTH UNITED KINGDOM AND EUROPEAN (U.K.) PATENTS

HERE.

BECAUSE HONG KONG DOES NOT HAVE AN ORIGINAL PATENTS REGISTRATION SYSTEM, HE SAID, INVENTORS, UNDER THE EXISTING REQUIREMENT, MUST APPLY FOR A U.K. PATENT AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REGISTER IT HERE.

BUT FOLLOWING THE CHANGES OF THE U.K. PATENT LAW RECENTLY, THE PATENTS ACT 1977 PROVIDES THAT INVENTORS MAY NOW APPLY NOT ONLY FOR UNITED KINGDOM PATENTS BUT ALSO FOR EUROPEAN PATENTS (U.K.) GRANTED UNDER THE CONVENTION ON THE GRANT OF EUROPEAN PATENTS.

+ IT IS THEREFORE LIKELY THAT INVENTORS WILL PREFER TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT OF EUROPEAN PATENTS (U.K.) RATHER THAN A UNITED KINGDOM PATENT, HE ADDED.

DEBATE ON THE MOTION WAS ADJOURNED.