Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1972-1973 — Page 44

ነ

distinctive marks, and Part B for marks which are not registrable in Part A but are capable of distinguishing the goods of the applicant and have been used in Hong Kong for not less than two years. Registration in Part A gives full rights of protection, in Part B modified rights. Registrations are valid for seven years, but may be renewed indefinitely for further periods of fourteen years. Defensive and cer- tification 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 set forth in the Trade Marks Rules.

Applications and Registrations

112. There was an increase in the number of applications during the year, which at 2,790 was 194 more than the 2,596 received in 1971-72. Of these applications, 2,749 were for registration in Part A of the Register, and 41 for registration in Part B. There was, however, a decrease of 275 to 1,585 in the number of applications accepted. There was a slight increase of 10 to 1,850 in the number of marks registered, these comprising 1,761 registrations in Part A and 89 in Part B.

113. Table XIX gives the number of marks registered in each of the 34 scheduled classes, and Table XX shows the countries of origin of the applications for the 1,850 marks registered. In each case the previous year's figures are included for comparison. The numbers of marks registered during the year exceeded the 1971-72 figures in more than half of the 34 scheduled classes. The most notable increases took place in Classes 16 (paper and paper articles, etc.) up 23 to 96, and 3 (bleaching preparations, soaps, perfumery, cosmetics, etc.) up 20 to 143. The seven countries from which most applications were received were Hong Kong (381), Japan (376), the United States of America (372), the United Kingdom (192), West Germany (120), Switzerland (103) and France (64). Hong Kong, which was second in last year's placings, has moved to the top of the table, ousting the United States of America, which has dropped to third place. Japan, third last year, has gone up to second, and the United Kingdom remained in fourth place.

114. 421 marks were removed from the Register for non-payment of the registration renewal fee, six were cancelled at the request of the registered proprietors, and 24 removed marks were restored to the Register. The total number of marks on the Register on 31st March

36