ENG-1977 — Page 54

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

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Apart from co-ordination work with various government departments, the council continued to encourage business and professional associations to establish voluntary codes of practice benefiting the consumer. The Consumer Council is an associate member of the International Organisation of Consumers' Unions.

Trade Marks and Patents

Trade Marks are registered under the Trade Marks Ordinance, which is based on the United Kingdom Trade Marks Act 1938. The procedure is laid down in the Trade Marks Rules, and the prescribed forms may be obtained free from the Trade Marks Registry, Registrar General's Department. Every mark, even if already registered in Britain or any other country, must satisfy all the requirements of the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance before it may be accepted for registration. During 1977, 3,555 applications were received and 1,988, including many made in previous years, were accepted and allowed to be advertised. A total of 1,980 marks were registered. The principal countries of origin were:

Hong Kong United States

United Kingdom

Japan

France

466

443

281

195

114

West Germany

Switzerland

Italy Australia

The Netherlands

105

78

45

30

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The total number of marks on the register at December 31, 1977, was 32,801.

During the year, the Trade Marks Ordinance and its rules were amended by the Trade Marks (Amendment) Ordinance 1977 and the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1977 respectively to enable provisions of the International Convention for the Pro- tection of Industrial Property (the Paris Convention) to be extended to Hong Kong. Following the provisions of Article 24(1) and Article 24(3)(a) of the Paris Convention, Hong Kong acceded to the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, as revised, from November 16, 1977, and an Order in Council was made in London declaring Hong Kong to be a convention territory for all purposes of the acts relating to patents, designs and trade marks. The order came into effect on November 16, 1977.

Although there is no original grant of patents in Hong Kong, the Registration of United Kingdom Patents Ordinance provides that any grantee of a United Kingdom patent may, within five years from the date of its issue, apply to have his patent regis- tered in Hong Kong. Registration of a United Kingdom patent in Hong Kong confers on the grantee the same privileges and rights as if the patent had been issued in the United Kingdom with an extension to Hong Kong. The privileges and rights run from the date of the patent in the United Kingdom, and continue as long as the patent remains in force there. A total of 638 patents were registered during the year, com- pared with 828 in 1976.

Companies

The Companies Registry of the Registrar General's Department keeps records of all companies incorporated in Hong Kong and those of all foreign corporations that have established a place of business in Hong Kong.

Local companies are incorporated under the Companies Ordinance which is, to a large extent, still based on the Companies Act 1929 formerly in force in Britain but