96

Acknowledgment of receipt of specification.

Right of priority in inventions, &c.

Lodging of petitions.

Examination of pe­titions.

Petitions for unsuitable objects.

Appendices to petition to conform with pre­scribed conditions therein contained.

the requirements expressed in ( c .) may be increased thereby. At present the annexed documents must be deposited in two identical copies.

§ 13 -

The authorities to whom is handed the petition for a patent are to examine the same in the presence of the depositor as to whether—

(a.) The petition is properly drawn up and signed.

( b .) The necessary enclosures are appended.

(c.) The prescribed tariff is enclosed, or proof furnished of its having been deposited.

If the authorities find that the petition is in order in these respects, they note on the cover containing the specification the day and hour of its presentation, and the deposited amount of tariff, signing it jointly with the applicant for the patent, or Avith his representative. They then give the depositor a receipt (certificate) for the application received, which contains, besides, the name and address of the applicant for the patent, as Avell as of his eventual representative, the day and hour of the deposit, the acknoAvledgment of the tariff deposit paid, and the discovery invention, or improvement stated in effect in the petition.

The priority of the announced discovery, invention, or improvement is established from this day and hour, i.e., every objection raised against a similar discovery, invention, or improvement made or worked hereafter is regarded as im r alid, and cannot negative nor neutralise the novelty of a discovery, invention, or improve­ment described and announced by the applicant for a patent in conformity Avith the regulations.

If, on examination of the petition, a defect or other fault becomes apparent, it Avill be simply returned to the applicant for rectification or erasion of the fault denoted without taking official cognizance of it.

§ 14 -

The petition for a patent, together with all vouchers received for official treat­ment, are forwarded by the authorities in each Crown land Avith whom the deposit has been made to the provincial Government Avithout delay, and within three days at latest, unless it is lodged at the provincial Government itself.

.§ 15 -

The provincial Government examines every such petition in the folloAving respects:—

(a.) Whether the object of the petition may not, perhaps, be absolutely unsuit­able for the grant of a patent.

(Z>.) Whether the enclosures conform with the prescribed conditions, namely, Avhether the article to be patented described on the cover tallies Avith the statement made in the petition, and Avhether it is properly signed.

If the provincial Government deems the object of the petition absolutely un­suitable for the grant of a patent, in accordance Avith §§ 2—6, they inform the petitioner of the fact, and request him to take back the sealed specification handed in with the petition against a receipt, as Avell as to receive the deposited fees, or else appeal to the Ministry of Trade and Commerce within the term appointed in trade matters, viz., six A\ T eeks (§ 146 of the Lrav for Trade and Industry of December 20, 1859).

If it appears that the appendices to the petition do not conform Avith the pre­scribed conditions, or that the object of the patent as stated on the cover of the sealed specification does not tally Avith the contents of the petition, the provincial