Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1956-1957 — Page 25

MARINE DEVAZILENY

PART V

TRADE MARKS REGISTRY

31. The Trade Marks Ordinance, 1954, is based on the U. K. Trade Marks Act, 1938. The Register consists of two Parts, Part A being for distinctive marks, and Part B for marks which are not registrable in Part A but are capable of dis- tinguishing the goods of the applicant and have been used in Hong Kong for not less than two years. By registration in Part A full rights of protection are conferred while registra- tion in Part B gives only modified rights. Registrations are valid for 7 years (14 if registered prior to 1st January, 1955), but may be renewed indefinitely for further periods of 14 years at a time; defensive and certification trade marks may be registered; and a person other than the proprietor of a mark may be registered as a registered user. The procedure and forms to be used are laid down in the Trade Marks Rules, 1954.

Searches and Inspections of the Register of Trade Marks.

32. During the year, 219 official searches were made by the Registry on request under Rule 108 for the purpose of ascer- taining whether there were any marks on the Register which resembled marks submitted with such requests, searches of this kind being usually preliminary to applications for registration. In addition, 1,013 inspections of the Register were made by the public.

Applications and Registrations.

33. 1,278 applications were received for the registration of Trade Marks in Part A of the Register, and 33 applications for registration in Part B-a total of 1,311, out of which 1,000 applications were accepted. 1,037 marks were registered al- together including 36 in Part B. Among these were some the applications for registration of which were submitted during the period 1955/56. The above total of 1,037 marks also included 27 cases in which the application for registration was

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