Registered Designs Act 1949

SupplementalU.K.

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

(1)[F1The registrar may give directions specifying] 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, [F2and specifying] 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.

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 [F3the Secretary of State] with the consent of the Treasury.

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 [F4the 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.

43 Savings.U.K.

F5(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 [F6products] forfeited under the laws relating to customs or excise.

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

• F7. . .

• 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. . .

• [F11 “ the court ” shall be construed in accordance with section 27 of this Act; ]

• F12. . .

• [F13“complex product” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3) of this Act;]

• “design” has the meaning assigned to it by [F14[F15section 1(2)] of this Act];

• [F16“electronic communication” has the same meaning as in the Electronic Communications Act 2000;]

• [F17 “ employee ”, “ employment ”, and “ employer ” refer to employment under a contract of service or of apprenticeship, ]

• [F13“national unregistered design right” means design right within the meaning of Part III of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988;]

• F18. . .

• “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by [F19the Secretary of State] under this Act;

• [F13“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;

• F12. . .

• “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. . .

F20(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F20(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)For the purposes of subsection (1) of [F21section 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.

[F2245 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.

[F23(1A)In the application of section 26C(1)(a) (remedy for unjustified threat of infringement proceedings) to Scotland, “declaration” means “declarator”.]

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

46 Application to Northern Ireland.U.K.

In the application of this Act to Northern Ireland—

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

[F25(3)References to enactments include enactments comprised in Northern Ireland legislation:]

[F26(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 [F27a Northern Ireland department][F28and in relation to a Northern Ireland department references to the Treasury shall be construed as references to the Department of Finance and Personnel]:

[F29(4A)Any reference to a claimant includes a reference to a plaintiff.]

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F30

[F3147 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.]

[F3247A 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.]

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

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F33

(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 M2Patents 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.

F34(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 [F35section 16(1) and section 17(2)(a) of the M3Interpretation Act 1978], (which [F35relate] to the effect of repeals).

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 M4Patents and Designs Act 1949.