Registered Designs Act 1949

SupplementalU.K.

39 Hours of business and excluded days.U.K.

(1)Rules made by [F1the Secretary of State] under this Act may specify the hour at which the Patent Office shall be deemed to be closed on any day for purposes of the transaction by the public of business under this Act or of any class of such business, and may specify days as excluded days for any such purposes.

(2)Any business done under this Act on any day after the hour specified as aforesaid in relation to business of that class, or on a day which is an excluded day in relation to business of that class, shall be deemed to have been done on the next following day not being an excluded day; and where the time for doing anything under this Act expires on an excluded day, that time shall be extended to the next following day not being an excluded day.

Textual Amendments

40 Fees.U.K.

There shall be paid in respect of the registration of designs and applications therefor, and in respect of other matters relating to designs arising under this Act, such fees as may be prescribed by rules made by [F2the Secretary of State] with the consent of the Treasury.

Subordinate Legislation Made

P1S. 40: s. 36 (with ss. 40 and 44(1)) power exercised by S.I. 1991/1628

P2S. 40: for previous exercises of this power see Index to Government Orders.

Textual Amendments

41 Service of notices, etc., by post.U.K.

Any notice required or authorised to be given by or under this Act, and any application or other document so authorised or required to be made or filed, may be given, made or filed by post.

42 Annual report of registrar.U.K.

The Comptroller—General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks shall, in his annual report with respect to the execution of [F3the M1Patents Act 1977], include a report with respect to the execution of this Act as if it formed a part of or was included in that Act.

Textual Amendments

Marginal Citations

43 Savings.U.K.

F4(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)Nothing in this Act shall affect the right of the Crown or of any person deriving title directly or indirectly from the Crown to sell or use [F5products] forfeited under the laws relating to customs or excise.

Textual Amendments

F4S. 43(1) repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F5Word in s. 43(2) substituted (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 13 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

44 Interpretation.U.K.

(1)In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned by them, that is to say

  • F6[F7 “ Appeal Tribunal ” means the Appeal Tribunal constituted and acting in accordance with section 28 of this Act as amended by the M2 Administration of Justice Act 1969; ]

  • F8. . .

  • F8. . .

  • “assignee” includes the personal representative of a deceased assignee, and references to the assignee of any person include references to the assignee of the personal representative or assignee of that person;

  • [F9 “ author ”in relation to a design, has the meaning given by section 2(3) and (4); ]

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

  • F8. . .

  • [F7 “ the court ” shall be construed in accordance with section 27 of this Act; ]

  • [F11 “Community Design Regulation” means Council Regulation ( EC ) 6/2002 of 12th December 2001 on Community Designs ; ]

  • [F12“complex product” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3) of this Act;]

  • “design” has the meaning assigned to it by [F13[F14section 1(2)] of this Act];

  • [F15“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in the Electronic Communications Act 2000;]

  • [F16 “ employee ”, “ employment ”, and “ employer ” refer to employment under a contract of service or of apprenticeship, ]

  • [F12“national unregistered design right” means design right within the meaning of Part III of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;]

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

  • “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by [F18the Secretary of State] under this Act;

  • [F12“product” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3) of this Act;]

  • “proprietor” has the meaning assigned to it by section two of this Act;

  • [F11“registered Community design” means a design that complies with the conditions contained in, and is registered in the manner provided for in, the Community Design Regulation;]

  • “registered proprietor” means the person or persons for the time being entered in the register of designs as proprietor of the design;

  • “registrar” means the Comptroller-General of Patents Designs and Trade Marks;

  • F8. . .

F19(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)For the purposes of subsection (1) of [F20section 14 of this Act], the expression “personal representative”, in relation to a deceased person, includes the legal representative of the deceased appointed in any country outside the United Kingdom.

Subordinate Legislation Made

P3S. 44: power previously exercised by 1989/1105, 1131 and 1990/1698

P4S. 44(1): s. 36 (with ss. 40 and 44(1)) power exercised by S.I. 1991/1628

Textual Amendments

F6Definition substituted by Administration of Justice Act 1969 (c. 58) Sch. 1

F8S. 44: definitions of“article”,“artistic work”,“corresponding design” and“set of articles” repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F11Words in s. 44(1) inserted (1.4.2003) by Registered Designs Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/550), regs. 1(1), 2(5) (with regs. 3-5)

F12S. 44(1): definitions of“complex product”,“national unregistered design right” and“product” inserted (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 14(3) (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F14S. 44(1): words in the definition of“design” substituted (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 14(2) (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F19S. 44(2)(3) repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F20Words in s. 44(4) substituted (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 14(4) (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

Marginal Citations

[F2145 Application to ScotlandU.K.

(1)In the application of this Act to Scotland—

  • “account of profits” means accounting and payment of profits;

  • “accounts” means count, reckoning and payment;

  • “arbitrator” means arbiter;

  • “assignment” means assignation;

  • “claimant” means pursuer;

  • “costs” means expenses;

  • “defendant” means defender;

  • “delivery up” means delivery;

  • “injunction” means interdict;

  • “interlocutory relief” means interim remedy.

(2)References to the Crown shall be construed as including references to the Crown in right of the Scottish Administration.]

Textual Amendments

46 Application to Northern Ireland.U.K.

In the application of this Act to Northern Ireland—

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22

[F23(3)References to enactments include enactments comprised in Northern Ireland legislation:]

[F24(3A)References to the Crown include the Crown in right of Her Majesty’s Government in Northern Ireland:]

(4)References to a Government department shall be construed as including references to [F25a Northern Ireland department][F26and in relation to a Northern Ireland department references to the Treasury shall be construed as references to the Department of Finance and Personnel]:

[F27(4A)Any reference to a claimant includes a reference to a plaintiff.]

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F28

Textual Amendments

F26Words added by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48, SIF 67A) s. 272, Sch. 3 para. 33(5)

[F2947 Application to Isle of Man.U.K.

This Act extends to the Isle of Man, subject to any modifications contained in an Order made by Her Majesty in Council, and accordingly, subject to any such Order, references in this Act to the United Kingdom shall be construed as including the Isle of Man.]

Textual Amendments

[F3047A Territorial waters and the Continental shelf.U.K.

(1)For the purposes of this Act the territorial waters of the United Kingdom shall be treated as part of the United Kingdom.

(2)This Act applies to things done in the United Kingdom sector of the continental shelf on a structure or vessel which is present there for purposes directly connected with the exploration of the sea bed or subsoil or the exploitation of their natural resources as it applies to things done in the United Kingdom.

(3)The United Kingdom sector of the continental shelf means the areas designated by order under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964.]

Textual Amendments

48 Repeals, savings, and transitional provisions.U.K.

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F31

(2)Subject to the provisions of this section, any Order in Council, rule, order, requirement, certificate, notice, decision, direction, authorisation, consent, application, request or thing made, issued, given or done under any enactment repealed by this Act shall, if in force at the commencement of this Act, and so far as it could have been made, issued, given or done under this Act, continue in force and have effect as if made, issued, given or done under the corresponding enactment of this Act.

(3)Any register kept under the M3Patents and Designs Act 1907, shall be deemed to form part of the corresponding register under this Act.

(4)Any design registered before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be registered under this Act in respect of articles of the class in which it is registered.

F32(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)Any document referring to any enactment repealed by this Act shall be construed as referring to the corresponding enactment of this Act.

(7)Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall be taken as prejudicing the operation of [F33section 16(1) and section 17(2)(a) of the M4Interpretation Act 1978], (which [F33relate] to the effect of repeals).

Textual Amendments

F32S. 48(5) repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

F33Words substituted by virtue of Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30), s. 25(2)

Marginal Citations

49 Short title and commencement.U.K.

(1)This Act may be cited as the Registered Designs Act 1949.

(2)This Act shall come into operation on the first day of January, nineteen hundred and fifty, immediately after the coming into operation of the M5Patents and Designs Act 1949.

Marginal Citations