Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1963-1964 — Page 36

and the latter from 879 to 872. The renewals effected were in respect of marks registered in 1949-50 under the old Ordinance and therefore valid for 14 years and of marks registered in 1956-57 under the new Ordinance valid for 7 years. The drop in renewals was due to there being fewer 1949–50 registrations renewed this year than 1948–49 registra- tions renewed last year.

Fees

105. Besides making some miscellaneous amendments of the Trade Marks Rules, the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules, 1964, increased the fees payable under the Registration of Trade Marks Ordinance with effect from 1st March 1964. Some of the increases in fees were quite substantial. The fees for application and registration were raised from $25 and $50 to $60 and $60 respectively so that the normal registration now costs $120 as against $75 previously. The fee for a renewal was raised in the same proportion from $50 to $80. A new fee of $15 was introduced for applications to the Registrar for an extension of time for doing any act or taking any proceeding.

106. The increases came too late in the year to have any significant effect on the year's collections, which at $252,470 were $26,824 less than in the previous year. Particulars are given in Table XX.

PART V

PATENTS REGISTRY

Patents Registrable

107. There is no original registration of patents in Hong Kong, but patents granted in the United Kingdom may be registered under the Registration of United Kingdom Patents Ordinance (Cap. 42). This provides that the grantee of a patent in the United Kingdom, or any person deriving his right from the grantee may, within five years from the date of issue of the patent, apply to have it registered here, and that such registration shall confer the same rights as though the patent had been issued in the United Kingdom with an extension to Hong Kong. Applications must be accompanied by a certified copy of the United Kingdom specification and a certificate from the Comptroller General of the United Kingdom Patent Office giving full particulars of the issue of the patent.

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