crowns as compared with 57,040,000 crowns for the previous year, according to the office of the American Commercial Attache, Stockholm. After deducting surrenders, deaths and lapses during these years, the net increment was 30,370,000 crowns against 32,330,000 crowns for 1936. Gross premium income amounted to 20,420,000 crowns comparing with 20,130,000 crowns for 1936, with interest and other incidental income at 8,410,000 crowns against 7,870,000 crowns for 1936.

Additions to the premium reserve totalled 7,000,000 crowns, of which 1,500,000 crowns were taken from income and 5,500,000 crowns from writing up the book value of securities to their actual market value. The present premium reserve fund amounts to 86,680,000 crowns. Net profits for the year were 1,060,000 crowns as against 1,500,000 crowns for 1936. To the security fund there were passed 530,000 crowns and 90,000 crowns allocated as interest on the guarantee capital. At the end of 1937 the amount of insurance in force was 591,000,000 crowns while total assets amounted to 211,000,000 crowns.

PHARMACEUTICAL TRADE MARK REGISTRATIONS IN MEXICO

There is, at present, no operating agreement between the Mexican Patent and Trade Mark Office and the various subdivisions of the Mexican Public Health Department charged with the registration of, respectively, pharmaceuticals and medicinals, alcoholic beverages and packaged foodstuffs and drinks. Numerous Mexican patent attorneys of long standing and experience point out that there is only one situation in which the Mexican Patent and Trade Mark Office cooperates with the Mexican Health Department and that is in connection with requests for patents covering scientific apparatus to be used in the field of public health. When applications for such patents are received, the Patent Office must first submit the application and a full description of the patent and its proposed usage to the Public Health Department in order that the latter's technicians may make certain that the patent, if granted, will not be used in a way which might be detrimental to the public health.

Patent and trade mark attorneys practicing in Mexico advance the opinion that although they strongly disapprove of the situation whereby applications for pharmaceutical trade marks must first be approved by the Health Department, they would look with considerable favor upon the reverse system involving the clearance of applications for Health Department licenses with the Patent and Trade Mark Office before such licenses would be extended by the competent health authorities.

In Mexico, and undoubtedly in many other Latin American countries, there is in effect a dual ownership of pharmaceutical and other trade marks. A trade mark is registered with the Patent and Trade Mark Office, the property right being vested in the owner, as a rule the American manufacturer and originator of the trade mark. At the same time the products of the manufacturer sold under the trade mark and identified with it are sometimes registered with the Health Authorities by the individual who may be only temporarily and for a limited time acting as the sales agent of the manufacturer. Registration of pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, packaged food stuffs and drinks, at least with the health authorities in Mexico is, for convenience sake, conducted in an informal manner and it is possible for local agents to register in their Own names with the health authorities

products identified with a trade mark listed in the Patent and Trade Mark Office as the property of others. There is, then, a situation in which the lawful owner of a trade mark may be prevented from importing and selling articles identified with it and for the protection of the sale of which the registration of the trade mark with the Patent and Trade Mark Office was originally effected.

PATENT AND TRADE MARK STATISTICS

Argentina. The Bureau of Patents and Trademarks, which operates under the Ministry of Agriculture, has reported on its activities for the first six months of 1938. The general level of activity is reported to be at least equal to that of 1937. During the first semester, a total of 1,198 patents were requested. Of these, 891 were granted, 41 denied, 126 withdrawn, 47 abandoned, and 10, of a precautionary or provisional nature, were granted. 52 transfers of patent registrations were made.

In trade marks, the request totaled 4,337. Of these, plus the carry over of the preceding year, 4,330 were granted, 121 denied, 292 withdrawn, and 124 abandoned, according to the office of the American Commercial Attache, Buenos Aires.

A total of 188 commercial names were also registered. Total income of the Bureau for the services above-mentioned amounted to 520,509.25 pesos.

Netherland India. In 1936, a total of 2,304 applications were filed in the Netherlands Indian Bureau of Industrial Titles for . international trade marks, of which 472 were totally refused and 136 partially refused. These figures represent decreases of 517, 624, and 8 respectively from those for 1935. In the same year there were in total 858 national registrations, of which 460 were in the name of holders domiciled within the Netherlands Indies and 398 domiciled elsewhere. (1935: 905, 549, and 356 respectively.)

At the end of 1936 there were in total 398 foreign holders of trade marks in the Netherlands Indies, of whom 108 were with branch offices in the Netherlands Indies and 290 without. A statement showing the distribution of these holders by nationalities, together with comparative data for 1935, is given below:

Venezuela. Following is a table showing the trade marks registered in Venezuela during the years 1935, 1936, and 1937, by countries of origin:

Patents registered in Venezuela during the years 1935, 1936, and 1937 are as follows (no recapitulation by countries being obtainable): 1935, 74; 1936, 73; and 1937, 91.

Great Britain. The number of applications for patents received by the British Patent Office during 1937 was 36,266 compared with 35,867 the previous year and 36,116 in 1935, according to the Annual Report of the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. The number of complete specifications also increased to a total of 22,215. Applications for British patents for residents of the United States numbered 3,700 or slightly more than 10 percent of the total but was exceeded by applications from Germany, numbering 5,203, this being the outstanding foreign source for such applications.

In commenting upon the trend of invention, notice is taken of the high level of activity and particular reference is made to the fields of chemistry, electricity and transport. Use is now being made of the chemical effects of artificial resins on dyestuffs, with a view to increasing the fastness of the dyes. Increased interest is noted among synthetic drugs in the manufacture of sulphonamides following upon the recent discovery of therapeutic properties for these compounds. The demand for light alloys leads attention to the production of pure magnesia from dolomite and of pure alumina from bauxite and clays.

In the field of electricity, television continues to receive much attention, while for electric power, the quenching of arcs in high tension switches and the development of improved thermal switches adapted for refrigerators and electric irons are especially noted. Air space insulated cables and incandescent electric lamps using certain gases have received much attention and it is stated that during the year there have been about 100 applications for electric systems of self-regulating control type.

For aviation, principal attention of inventors has been with deicing and hydraulic operating gear for retractable under-carriage. The number of applications to register designs dropped somewhat from the previous year and totalled 19,343. Of this number, 11,404 were in respect of textile goods.

The number of applications made in 1937 for registration of trade marks was 8,836, of which, all but 263 were for registration in Part A of the Register and this remaining number for registration in Part B. The total represents a decrease of 327 from the previous year. Attention is directed to new trade marks legislation, of which, the Trade Marks Bill, receiving Royal assent on April 13, 1938, is the outstanding measure, as it consolidates the statutory law concerning trade marks.

India. The following is a statement showing the distribution of applications for patents filed in 1936 and 1937, classified according to the country of origin, as contained in "The Annual Report of the Patent Office for the year 1937," just published:

Two applications which were included under Indian Provinces and States in the Report of 1936 now shown separately against Burma, which is shown under Other Empire Countries in the Report for 1937.

The applications shown in the column headed Reciprocity Applications filed in 1937, claim that priority date of the first application in the United Kingdom or other parts of His Majesty's Dominions or States in India with which British India has reciprocal arrangements.

Chile. The office of the American Trade Commissioner, Santiago, forwards word that according to the message which President Alessandri read to Congress on May 21, 1938, 3,071 applications were made for trade marks during 1937, of which 1,848 were granted. These comprised 1,176 national and 672 foreign.

During the same period, 194 applications for patents were granted.

Egybt. The following table gives patent and trade mark statistics for Egypt during the fiscal year 1936-37 by country of domicile, according to the office of the American Commercial Attache, Cairo:

This Division is the only Governmental agency organized to serve and advise all branches of the forest products industries. To effectively perform the great number of services requested by an industry group ranked sixth in the value of products in 1935, the Forest Products Division necessarily employs a technically trained personnel with a background of practical experience. The Division maintains systematic files of data and information relating to domestic and foreign market developments. One of its principal activities is the promotion of trade at home and abroad. The Division closely cooperates with Government and industrial agencies throughout the world.

The Division consists of two sections (1) Lumber and Allied Products and (2) Pulp and Paper Products. All commercial inquiries, whether simple or complex, receive prompt and adequate attention. The Division is always glad to consult with industry on any matter affecting its welfare.