Page:Bearing and Importance of Commercial Treaties in the Twentieth Century, 1906.djvu/8

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COMMERCIAL TREATIES

treaty of commerce and navigation was signed between the two countries regulating all matters except Customs duties. Under this treaty we enjoy as between the United Kingdom and France and Algeria in all other matters but Customs duties, the treatment of the most favoured nation, and thus no immunity, favour, or privilege in matters of trade or industry can be granted to the subjects or citizens of any other country, so long as this treaty remains in force, without British subjects have unconditionally the benefit of it. This treaty deals with all matters of transit, warehousing, patterns, samples, ships, cargoes, port dues, brokerage, Customs formalities, trade marks, merchandise marks, spurious imitations, temporary restrictions of import, export, or transit, arms and munitions of war, and the holding and disposal of property and legal rights generally. Since then, several of the matters mentioned in it have been more specifically regulated by international conventions entered into, not only between France and England, but by groups of States forming a Union on the model of the Postal Union. Instances of such conventions are the Industrial Property Union, created by a Convention concluded in Paris on March 20th, 1893, which gives the subjects and citizens of the contracting States, as regards patents, trade marks, designs, models, and trade names the same protection as native subjects and citizens, and certain rights of priority for registration in the contracting countries of claims registered in the native country; the Copyright Union, created by the Berne Convention of September 9th, 1886, which governs the trade in books and artistic productions of which the authorship can be proved; a Union formed by a Convention dated July 5th, 1890, for the prompt publication in English., French, German, Italian and Spanish of all Customs tariffs, and all modifications thereof; and the North Sea Fisheries Convention of May