BAHAMA ISLANDS.

Who may be Patentee.-Practically any one, whether the inventor or not, as the first importer may obtain a valid patent as well as the first inventor. The Attorney-General has recently held, however, that the applicant must be "a person," so that applications should not be made in the name of a corporation.

Issue of Patents.-For some years after the passage of the Patent Act, no formal document or "Letters Patent" was issued to serve the inventor as a title deed. Letters Patent are now issued, however, by the Attorney-General, who is permitted to charge a fee of £5.5.0 for drawing up the document. This fee is now included in our charge for the application.

Applications-Documents Required.—By a ruling of the Registrar, confirmed by an opinion of the Attorney-General, the specifications must be signed by the applicant for patent. An agent or attorney is not allowed to sign the specifications, even under a power of attorney giving him special power and authority so to do. With this single exception the requirements stated in our book under "Documents Required," are still correct.

BARBADOS.

Who may be Patentee.—“The first and true inventor," which is interpreted to include the first and true importer into Barbados. It should be noted, however, that it has been held that an applicant for patent must be "a person, and that in consequence a firm or corporation may not apply for and obtain a patent.

Assignments. The documents should be prepared in duplicate in the English language. The assignments may be signed by the assignor before a a British Consul and one subscribing witness, the Consul certifying upon the instrument that it was so signed and executed. Or, the assignment may be executed before two subscribing witnesses, the signature of the assignor being proven by one or both of the subscribing witnesses, under oath, before a Notary Public, the document then being legalized by a British Consul.

Working. Section 9 of the law requires that the invention must be brought into operation in the island within a period of seven years from the filing of the specification.' According to an opinion of the Attorney-General, dated January 26, 1895, the working must be actual and bona fide. It is not believed, however, that the actual manufacture of the patented invention in Barbados will always be necessary. In case of machinery or apparatus it is believed that it will be sufficient if it be imported in sufficient numbers to supply demands, and put into use or operation in the island. In case of a process it must be put in practice in some manufactory or establishment in Barbados. Small articles which can be manufactured in Barbados, as well as elsewhere, undoubtedly should be made there, and in quantities sufficient to supply all demands.

BELGIUM.

International Convention Applications. When an applicant for a patent desires to take advantage of the provisions of the International Convention, he should so state when forwarding his application. No special or additional documents are required in this case, but the application must be filed for a Patent of

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA.

Importation instead of a Patent of Invention.

The patent when issued will not be antedated to agree with the date of the original application, but will be numbered and dated in its regular order and as of the date of the actual filing of the application therefor.

Taxes on Patents of Addition.-When an application for a Patent of Addition is filed by the patentee of the original invention, who has not parted with his rights to the latter, no taxes, except the single tax payable upon application, are payable upon the Patent of Addition. But if the original patentee, when he applies for a Patent of Addition, has parted with his rights to the original patent, he must pay the usual annual taxes upon the Patent of Addition, as if it were an original patent, as must his assignees, his heirs, and any other person.

BOLIVIA.

Working. Patents must be worked within a year and a day from the date of the issue of the patent under penalty of forfeiture. Upon due application being made, the time within which the working must be performed may be extended. The owner of the patent is required to satisfactorily prove that within the year allowed by law, or such further extension of time as may be granted, he has established or founded an office, manufactory, studio, foundry, or other establishment, located somewhere within the Republic of Bolivia, where the invention may be seen in practice, or that he has otherwise carried into effect or worked the invention, improvement or importation to which his patent relates within the Republic. In all cases the documents of proof are issued by the local authorities of the place in which the office, manufactory or establishment is located. We do not understand it is necessary to actually manufacture the patented article in Bolivia in all cases. When the article is small and inexpensive and readily manufactured in Bolivia, it should be made there, but in case of intricate and costly machinery or apparatus, especially when no facilities for its manufacture can be found in Bolivia, we understand that it will be sufficient to import one or more machines into Bolivia and to set it up and operate it there, or offer or expose it for sale. In case of a process, it should be carried into practice in some establishment in Bolivia.

A decree dated September 11, 1877, requires that a deposit of (usually) 300 bolivianos (about $300) be made, before the delivery of the patent, as a guarantee that the patent will be duly worked. This deposit will be forfeited if the patent is not worked within the prescribed period of time, but may be withdrawn if the working is satisfactorily proven in due time.

BRITISH BECHUANALAND.

British Bechuanaland has been incorporated into and consolidated with Cape Colony, (Cape of Good Hope), the laws of the latter colony now covering all the territory embraced in the former colony of British Bechuanaland.

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA.

Under date of September 6, 1898, her Majesty's Acting Commissioner for the territory, advised us that at present there is no patent or trade mark law in force, nor any law or regulation referring to designs or copyright. We understand, however, that it is proposed to enact such laws for this territory in the near future.

BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

BRITISH GUIANA.

Documents Required.—In addition to the documents named in our book, the following document must be supplied:

6. Declaration by Attesting Witness, as to due execution of the power of attorney by the applicant. Must be signed by the witness before a Notary Public and be legalized by a British Consul.

At least one copy of the specification, and preferably both copies, must be signed by the applicant, and preferably should have affixed a certificate signed by the British Consul, attesting the identity of the document, and the due execution of the same by the applicant, though the latter is not absolutely

necessary.

BRITISH HONDURAS.

Documents Required.-The following changes should be noted.

2. Declaration. The declaration must be a statutory declaration reciting the statute under which it is made. Declarations made in the United States should recite "Section 1778 of the Revised Statutes of the United States of America, approved June 22, A. D. 1874.”

3. Specification in Duplicate.-Written or printed on paper, the sheets of which measure 8 inches in width by 13 inches in height, having a margin of 2 inches on the left side. Both copies must be signed and sealed by the applicant.

4. Drawings in Duplicate.-On drawing paper or tracing cloth. The drawings for Provisional Applications must be made upon sheets measuring 13 inches high by 8 inches wide, or 13 inches high by 16 inches wide, with a single margin line drawn all around, 1 inch from the edge of the sheet. For complete applications the sheets must measure 214 inches long by 14 inches wide, or 21 inches wide by 29 inches long.

No signatures required.

6. Declaration by Attesting Witness, as to due execution of the power of attorney by the applicant. Must be a statutory declaration, and be signed by the witness before a Notary Public.

The other documents and requirements are as stated in our book.

BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

We have been advised that British New Guinea has adopted as its patent law the Queensland Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Acts of 1884 and 1886, and

the Rules of 1885 and 1887.

A separate application and fee is required, and a separate patent is issued. As the law and practice is the same as in Queensland, we do not think it necessary to repeat here the information contained on pages 65 and 66 of our book, but refer to these pages for the principal features of the law and practice in this country.

BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA.

(Rhodesia, Mashonaland, Matabeleland.)

Law. Patents of Invention may now be obtained affording protection for inventions throughout the territories of the British South Africa Company. The text of Act No. 17 of 1860 of Cape Colony has been adopted and put into operation as the patent law of the territories of the Company.

LAW AND PRACTICE.

Who may be Patentee. The true and first inventor, which is interpreted to include the true and first importer of the invention within the Colony.

Patents, Kind and Term.—Patents of Invention granted for fourteen years, but will expire with any prior foreign patent that ceases to exist before the end of this term. The patent may sometimes be extended for an additional term of seven and perhaps fourteen years. The patent is dated as of the day upon which the application therefor is filed.

Unpatentable. The law is silent upon this point.

Novelty, Effect of Prior Patent or Publication.-To obtain a valid patent the application therefor must be filed before any publication or public use of the invention within the territories of British South Africa. Publication, or the fact that an invention has been patented in a foreign country does not prevent the obtaining of a perfectly valid patent so long as the invention is new, (has not been published or used in British South Africa), at the time the application

therefor is filed.

Taxes. A tax of £10 is payable before the end of the third year of the life of the patent, counting from the date of the filing of the application therefor, and a further tax of £20 before the expiration of the seventh year. There are no provisions for extending the time for making these payments, so that the patent will be forfeited if the payments are not made in due time.

Assignments. Should be prepared in duplicate. Almost any suitable form. such as the assignments usually drawn in the United States or England, will be sufficient. The signature of the assignor should be witnessed by at least one witness, who should state his calling and address.

Working. There are no requirements.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED.

1. Power of Attorney.—Signed by the applicant and two witnesses.

2. Specification in Duplicate.-No signatures required.

3. Drawings in Duplicate.-On drawing board or tracing cloth. Any suitable size. No signatures necessary.

BULGARIA.

By a series of circumstances Bulgaria is, at the present time, without laws for the protection of any industrial property except Trade Marks.

There is no law providing for the grant of patents or similar protection for inventions, and no constitutional provision for securing the rights of inventors.

The Government is, however, at the present time preparing a patent law, following the provisions of the principal European countries, preparatory to entering the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, which entry will occur, it is believed, in the near future.

CANADA.

Important changes have been made in the practice with respect to the documents required for applications for patents, and amendment of the papers during the prosecution of applications. The new regulations are as follows:

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN PATENTS.

1. Power of Attorney.-Signed by the applicant, all names in full, before at least one witness.

2. Petition. Signed by the applicant, all names in full.

3. Specification.-Two copies must be supplied. One copy must be signed by the applicant and two witnesses, all names in full; the other copy need not be executed. An additional or third copy of the claims must also be furnished. The preamble must contain a reference to all prior foreign patents issued, in the following words: "[for which I have obtained a patent in (here name the country) No......, bearing date..........189..]," reciting all patents granted, by country, date, and number.

4. Drawings.-Three full sets must be supplied. Two copies must be upon tracing linen (not Linaura or similar fabric). The third copy must be upon double bristol board, without writing upon its face, merely the usual lettering. The size of the sheets must be exactly 8 inches wide by 13 inches in height. Each sheet on tracing linen must contain the title of the invention at the top of the sheet, and the following certificate at the bottom: "Certified to be the drawings referred to in the specification hereunto annexed." The drawings may be signed by either the inventor or his attorney-preferably the latter. If signed by the inventor, he must sign his name in full, together with two witnesses, at the bottom of the sheets of tracing linen, and state the place and date of execution. All drawings should be made in India or carbon ink, although first-class lithographs are accepted.

The oath may

5. Oath. Sworn or affirmed to, and signed by the inventor. be made before any justice of the peace in Canada. If made outside of Canada, it may be made before any diplomatic or consular officer under the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, or any judge of a court of record, or a notary public, or the mayor or other chief magistrate of any city, borough or town corporate, in the country in which the applicant happens at the time to be. The oath must in all cases be attested by the proper official seal of the officer before whom it is taken.

All prior patents issued must be acknowledged in the oath, by a statement, following the reference to the Petition, in the following words: " And I further say "that the same has not been patented to me, or to others with my knowledge or consent, except in the following countries [here insert, if previously "patented, the country or countries in which it has been so patented, giving "the number and date of each patent]." If not previously patented, erase the the words "Except in the following countries” and insert the words “in any country."

Amendments.-Papers will be returned for formal corrections until they have reached the Examiner's hands. After that stage no papers whatever will be returned except where applicants have not preserved copies. In such cases the copy will be sent to applicant on his request, to be copied by him and returned to the Patent Office.

The applicant has a right to amend before or after the first rejection or action; and he may amend as often as the examiner presents new references or