17
and the desire for the public good are appreciated as having:
been always linked to the terms of every British patent, it
will be seen that the British Government did no unfair thing
and no harsh or arbitrary act when making their proposals
for the working of British Patents in this country during the
state of war at a time when the foreign owner was absolutely
Prevented from working the inventions or supplying the British
market with such patented articles while the state of war
continued.
Applicants for Licences.
Every person seeking to obtain a licence to work a Patent
owned by an alien enemy is required to satisfy the Board of
trade upon the following three points :—
(a) That the patentee or licensee is the subject of a State
at war with His Majesty ;
(b) That the person applying intends to manufacture, or
cause to be manufactured, the patented article, or to
carry on, or cause to be carried on, the patented
process ;
(c) That it is in the general interests of the country or of
a section of the community, or of a trade, that such
articles should be manufactured or such process
carried on as aforesaid.
After the application has been lodged at the Patent Office
bearing a stamp fee of £2, the same is referred to the Comptroller
° r appointed tribunal for hearing and conducting an inquiry,
who then, as a result of such, makes a report to the Board of
Trade, with whom rests the absolute discretion to grant a
bcence or to order the avoidance or suspension in whole or
m part of any Patent upon such terms and conditions, if any,
as they may think fit.
The following is the complete text of the new British Patent
Act and the Rules made thereunder relating to the Patents
an d Trade Marks that have been granted to subjects of any
St ate at war with His Majesty. The full text is also given of
the Acts relating to Trading with the Enemy :—
B