18
Petty patents
35.
If the system of protecting inventions is considered
simply from the point of view of benefit to Hong Kong, it is
perhaps doubtful if Hong Kong derives much competitive
advantage from the protection afforded by patents. As has
already been said, the process of obtaining a UK patent
and having it registered here is lengthy, cumbersome and
expensive, and gives an amount of protection for a period
of time not usually warranted by the significance of the
invention developed in Hong Kong.
7
36.
It would probably be more beneficial to the Hong
Kong inventor (or rather innovator) if he were able to obtain
more limited protection for a shorter period of time, but
obtain it quickly and cheaply. With that objective, certain
countries, notably W. Germany, Japan, France and recently
Australia, grant petty patents or utility models. China's
recently published Patent Code makes provision for the grant
of petty patents. For the Hong Kong innovator who produces
a "gizmo" that he wants to exploit as quickly as possible
and for a limited time, a utility model may provide all the
protection he needs at a fraction of the cost in a fraction
of the time.
11
37.
Thoughts along these lines have recently been
expressed in the United Kingdom by the Chief Scientific Adviser
/in the
3
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.