Minister Morgan to the Secretary of State.
Habana, June 15, 1906.
Sir: In reference to the department’s instruction No. 29, of May 19, regarding representations to the Cuban Government with the object of securing in Cuba to American citizens trade-mark rights [Page 499] which they have previously acquired in the United States, I have the honor to report that I have not only addressed the Cuban secretary of state in writing on this subject, but have also personally conferred with him, with the result that he assures me that his Government is prepared to afford protection to American owners of registered trade-marks, and will take steps to grant them relief from the injustice under which they at present suffer.
In order to remedy, in part at least, the existing evil, the Habana chamber of commerce has proposed to the secretary of agriculture, industry, and commerce, whose department has charge of the registration of trade-marks, that all applications for registration addressed to him shall be referred to a committee of the chamber, in order that this committee may investigate and report as to whether or not the trade-mark for which registration is requested has already been registered abroad. The chamber suggests also that trade-marks should be referred for a like report to the Commissioner of Patents at Washington when suspected of having been previously registered in the United States.
It would appear that, either by this means or by others which may be devised, the present injustice suffered by the proprietors of American trade-marks in Cuba is likely to be removed.
I have, etc.,