From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Strategy and selection of patent agent firms.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\6\ Scan026 | |
| Date | 21th May 1926 guessed | |
| -3- the probability being that Mr Lanchester writes his own specifications and sends them for approval to Messrs Marks & Clerk, somewhat in the manner that we have adopted. As this matter of Patent Agents is of such great importance I think it would be worth while making trial applications to one or two firms and comparing the submitted specifications. This of course would be rather irregular and would give a slight advantage to the new firms, as they would undoubtedly take particular care with the first application from us. I think it should be borne in mind that some of our recent applications have been very difficult ones, dealing with obscure problems and requiring a considerable amount of technical knowledge, and I am in doubt whether there are any Patent Agents who have the requisite knowledge to render them entirely reliable. I think we must always rely on ourselves for technical knowledge, leaving the Patent Agents to supply the necessary knowledge as regards patent law. To sum up the matter I think we must exercise extreme care in making any change, for the following reasons: - We have reasonably believed that Messrs Phillipss are sound as regards their knowledge of patent law but we are not satisfied with their particular technical knowledge, and the errors that have occured give us reasonable cause for | ||