In this third step, listen to the conversation again while you read the transcription. Finally, read the glossary information, phrasal verbs (highlighted in yellow) and notes at the bottom. This step also means good practice for your reading comprehension skills. To get information in Spanish, just place the arrow of your mouse on any highlighted word without clicking.

Patents and Trademarks

(In Hector Grant's office) 

JOHN

Good morning, H.G. Are you free?

GRANT

Yes, come in, John. I've just got a quarter of an hour before Alfred Wentworth arrives to see over the factory. You said you'd got that marketing report on the box-files. Let's get on with it. What do  they say?

JOHN

As you know, I asked Smith-Weston Consultants to do us a brief marketing report on box-files...

GRANT

Well?

JOHN

Here's their report. Apparently the market for box-files was static for a number of years, but it's growing now. There are eight firms in the business, and one of them, Maynard & Company, has about forty per cent of the market..

GRANT

What's the average retail price for this type of file?

JOHN

About ten shillings per file.

GRANT

What are the wholesale prices?

JOHN

Wholesale prices range from twenty five per cent to thirty-five per cent off retail prices.

GRANT

Hmm... Maynards, you say. They run office-stationery shops all over the country. Did you find out about the patent?

JOHN

Yes. I asked Wainright & Hansford, the patent agents, to see if our new design can be patented.

GRANT

And can it? Is it a new idea, or have dozens of other people thought of it first?

JOHN

Apparently this type of steel and suction clip inside the file is a completely new idea. The agents suggest we should patent it at once. We can put in a provisional specification now, that  records the invention with the Patent Office, and then we've got twelve months to file the complete specification.

GRANT

What about a trade mark for it?

JOHN

The agents suggest we should put in an application to register the file at once. Otherwise a rival firm could pass off their files as being made by us.

GRANT

Hello? Yes? Oh, Mr. Wentworth's on his way up now, is he? Thank you... Hmm... he's early. Elizabeth, ask Mr.  Wentworth to come straight in, will  you?

ELIZABETH

Oh, he's here now, Mr. Grant. Would you go in, please, Mr. Wentworth.

WENTWORTH

Morning, morning. Well, Hector, my boy, I'm all set to see the famous Harper & Grant factory. I've sat looking at it long enough from across the road. Always thought I'd like to have a closer look.

GRANT

For goodness sake, sit down Alfred. The floor shakes when you walk about like that... What do you think of this? Not bad, eh? We're applying for a patent for this new paper holder inside the file. It works by suction. I'll bet you've never seen anything like this before.

WENTWORTH

What? How does it work? Ah, I see. Well, you know, that's funny. I have seen one rather like this. Chap I know in Manchester. I saw one like this, in fact, last week.

GRANT

What!!

JOHN

It can't be the same!!

GRANT

It's not possible!!

JOHN

Are you sure?

WENTWORTH

Of course I'm sure. I said I'd buy some for my various offices when he'd started to market them.

GRANT

Now, look here, Alfred, who was this man? This is extremely serious. We're just about to apply for a patent for this.

WENTWORTH

Well, you'd better be quick, or you'll find someone else has got there first.

JOHN

What's the name of this man's firm?

WENTWORTH

Oh, he's one of the sales boys for Maynards... Robinson, I think his name is.

JOHN

Oh Lord! It couldn't be worse. We were hoping to break into the market with this.

WENTWORTH

Well, I should get your application in to the Patent Office.

JOHN

But, Mr. Wentworth, we've only just had the report in today from the patent agents.

GRANT

Well, you'd better get our application in today, John.

JOHN

Right, H.G. May I use your phone?

GRANT

Yes, yes.

JOHN

(He picks up phone and dials) Sally? The new box-file paper holder... I want the second copy of the specification, and the photostat of the drawing. Let me have them straight away, will you? I'm in the Chairman's office. What? You sent them to Birmingham? Both copies of the drawing! Oh, good gracious. What on earth did you do that for? Can't the Design Department let us have another copy?... Yes, ask them.

GRANT

What's the trouble?

JOHN

Apparently Sally sent off both copies we had of the drawing to the Birmingham factory who are making the file for us. She forgot to check whether they were, in fact, the only two copies in existence.

GRANT

What time does the Patent Office close?

WENTWORTH

Six o'clock. You ought to know that, Hector.

GRANT

Yes? Oh. John, it's your secretary.

JOHN

What? They can't find them? Well, it's too late now to be sorry.

GRANT

What's happened?

JOHN

The Design Department can't find the original designs.

GRANT

Do we need drawings for the Patent Office?

JOHN

In some cases it's not necessary to supply drawings for a provisional specification, but in this case, apparently, we must include them.

WENTWORTH

Well, get on to Birmingham. What's the time now? Twelve twenty. If they put them on the next train to London, you could have them collected at the station and taken straight round to the Patent Office.

GRANT

(Speaking into phone) Get me Mr. Clark, of the Kitson Board Company, Birmingham, will you? It's urgent.

JOHN

One of my sales clerks has got a motor bike. I'll send him to collect the drawings and he can take them straight to the Patent Office. I'll get on to him straight away.