Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

111 Infringing copies may be treated as prohibited goods. U.K.

(1) The owner of the copyright in a published literary, dramatic or musical work may give notice in writing to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise—

(a) that he is the owner of the copyright in the work, and

(b) that he requests the Commissioners, for a period specified in the notice, to treat as prohibited goods printed copies of the work which are infringing copies.

(2) The period specified in a notice under subsection (1) shall not exceed five years and shall not extend beyond the period for which copyright is to subsist.

(3) The owner of the copyright in a sound recording or film may give notice in writing to the Commissioners of Customs and Excise—

(a) that he is the owner of the copyright in the work,

(b) that infringing copies of the work are expected to arrive in the United Kingdom at a time and a place specified in the notice, and

(c) that he requests the Commissioners to treat the copies as prohibited goods.

[F1 (3A) The Commissioners may treat as prohibited goods only infringing copies of works which arrive in the United Kingdom—

(a) from outside the European Economic Area, or

(b) from within that Area but not having been entered for free circulation.

[F2 (3B) This section does not apply to goods placed in, or expected to be placed in, one of the situations referred to in Article 1(1), in respect of which an application may be made under [F3 Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 608/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 concerning customs enforcement of intellectual property rights].]]

(4) When a notice is in force under this section the importation of goods to which the notice relates, otherwise than by a person for his private and domestic use, [F4 subject to subsections (3A) and (3B), is prohibited]; but a person is not by reason of the prohibition liable to any penalty other than forfeiture of the goods.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 111(3A)(3B) inserted (1.7.1995) by S.I. 1995/1445, reg. 2(2)

F2 S. 111(3B) substituted (1.7.2004) by The Goods Infringing Intellectual Property Rights (Customs) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1473), reg. 12 (with reg. 2(2)(3))

F3 Words in s. 111(3B) substituted (11.10.2018) by The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 9

F4 Words in s. 111(4) substituted (1.7.1995) by S.I. 1995/1445, reg. 2(3)