TNAG-2890-FCO40-4162-Reform-and-localisation-of-the-Hong-Kong-Patent-System-1993 — Page 18

Chok.Dec16

16 December 1993

BY FAX

Mrs Jennie Chok

CONFIDENTIAL

78

370/20

RECERER

DISTRY

05 JAN 1994

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Talkan

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

270-2653

Constitutional Affair Branch

Government Secretariat

Lower Albert Road

Hong Kong

Dear me chick,

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND LOCALISATION of HONG KONG'S PATENT

SYSTEM

1. Thank you for your letter of 1 December to Wendy Wyver which was foreshadowed in Hong Kong telno 1820 of the same date.

14

ว I have copied your letter to our legal adviser and to the. Patent Office. I am still waiting for the latter to reply, however, I hope to be in a position to let you have a substantive reply shortly.

I

3. I am also conscious that we also owe Regina Ip substantive replies to her letters of 25 and 27 May on patent reform and the Patent Cooperation Treaty respectively. enclose a copy of a minute dated 30 July from our legal adviser in which she raised a number of points on which we have asked the Patent office for their comments, but we have not, as yet, received their reply.

4.

Intuitively we feel that it would be premature to consult the Chinese on localisation before you have our final comments on the Patent Cooperation Treaty. I also understand that Alice Tai has discussed the Patent Cooperation Treaty with WIPO. It would be helpful to know where matters stand in that regard. As I understand the position, the only concern WIPO has about Hong Kong becoming a receiving office for the purposes of the Patent Cooperation Treaty is that it

CONFIDENTIAL