Registered Designs Act 1949

Use of registered designs for services of the Crown. U.K.

1 (1) Notwithstanding anything in this Act, any Government department, and any person authorised in writing by a Government department, may use any registered design for the services of the Crown in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.

(2) If and so far as the design has before the date of registration thereof been duly recorded by or applied by or on behalf of a Government department otherwise than in consequence of the communication of the design directly or indirectly by the registered proprietor or any person from whom he derives title, any use of the design by virtue of this paragraph may be made free of any royalty or other payment to the registered proprietor.

(3) If and so far as the design has not been so recorded or applied as aforesaid, any use of the design made by virtue of this paragraph at any time after the date of registration thereof, or in consequence of any such communication as aforesaid, shall be made upon such terms as may be agreed upon, either before or after the use, between the Government department and the registered proprietor with the approval of the Treasury, or as may in default of agreement be determined by the court on a reference under paragraph 3 of this Schedule.

(4) The authority of a Government department in respect of a design may be given under this paragraph either before or after the design is registered and either before or after the acts in respect of which the authority is given are done, and may be given to any person whether or not he is authorised directly or indirectly by the registered proprietor to use the design.

(5) Where any use of a design is made by or with the authority of a Government department under this paragraph, then, unless it appears to the department that it would be contrary to the public interest so to do, the department shall notify the registered proprietor as soon as practicable after the use is begun, and furnish him with such information as to the extent of the use as he may from time to time require.

[F1 (6) For the purposes of this and the next following paragraph “the services of the Crown” shall be deemed to include—

(a) the supply to the government of any country outside the United Kingdom, in pursuance of an agreement or arrangement between Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and the government of that country, of [F2 products] required—

(i) for the defence of that country; or

(ii) for the defence of any other country whose government is party to any agreement or arrangement with Her Majesty’s said Government in respect of defence matters;

(b) the supply to the United Nations, or to the government of any country belonging to that organisation, in pursuance of an agreement or arrangement between Her Majesty’s Government and that organisation or government, of [F2 products] required for any armed forces operating in pursuance of a resolution of that organisation or any organ of that organisation;

and the power of a Government department or a person authorised by a Government department under this paragraph to use a design shall include power to sell to any such government or to the said organisation any [F2 products] the supply of which is authorised by this sub-paragraph, and to sell to any person any [F2 products] made in the exercise of the powers conferred by this paragraph which are no longer required for the purpose for which they were made.]

(7) The purchaser of any [F2 products] sold in the exercise of powers conferred by this paragraph, and any person claiming through him, shall have power to deal with them in the same manner as if the rights in the registered design were held on behalf of His Majesty.

Textual Amendments

F1 Para. 1(6) substituted by Defence Contracts Act 1958 (c. 38), s. 1(1)(4)

F2 Words in Sch. 1 para. 1(6)(7) substituted (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 15(2) (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Paras. 1-3 extended by S.I. 1965/1536, Sch. 3

C2 Para. 1(3) modified by Atomic Energy Authority (Weapons Group) Act 1973 (c. 4), s. 5(2)