- Basildon 01268244144
- Chelmsford 01245453800
- Colchester 01206217300
- London 020 4586 1280
Design Law to Make Copying a Crime
One of the less well reported changes contained in the Intellectual Property Act 2014 is that the commercial exploitation of a registered design without the design owner’s permission will become a criminal offence, with a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment on conviction.
In addition, the Act provides that the intellectual property in a design will rest with the designer, not the person commissioning the design, unless the contract stipulates otherwise.
The provisions in the Act will start to come into force from 1 October 2014.
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.