abandoned, leaving seventeen pending at the end of the year. Opposi- tions rarely go to a hearing before the Registrar: usually one side or the other withdraws, or the parties arrive at some compromise arrangement acceptable to the Registrar.
49. There were only two hearings during the year, one of which was confined to the hearing of an opposed application for adjournment, which was in the end allowed on terms as to costs. The other hearing was under Rule 18 on an objection by the Registrar to an application by the United Africa Co. Ltd. to register the word 'Zip' in Class 25 in respect of clothing, including hats, boots, shoes and slippers. It was held that the mark was not a word having no direct reference to the character or quality of the goods, and could not therefore be registered. It was also held that even if the mark had qualified for registration under Section 9(1)(d) or (e) of the Ordinance, it would have had to be refused under the Registrar's discretion, since the use by the applicant of the word 'Zip' would embarrass other traders and restrict their free use of the word.
Miscellaneous
50. 328 marks were registered as Associated Trade Marks; 118 registrations renewed; 236 changes made in the names and addresses of registered proprietors; and 156 persons entered as subsequent pro- prietors of marks by assignment or transmission, 151 with goodwill, 5 without. 80 applications for registration of Registered Users were received, and 78 applications (including six made in the previous year) were registered. One registration of Registered User was cancelled.
51. The new Card Index System, work on which began in September 1957, was completed in April 1960, by which time 32,069 cards had been made out and filed. The new system, which is based on the system of sub-classification in use in the Patent Office, London, greatly facili- tates the work of the Registry, reducing considerably the time spent on searching.
52. Table XIV gives statistics of registrations, renewals, etc., for the ten years 1951-52-1960-61.
Fees
53. Fees collected during the year amounted to $131,028, $13,197 less than in the previous year.
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