UK To Introduce Webmarking For Registered Designs

The British government intends to introduce a new legislation that would enable registered UK and European Community design holders with the option to mark their products with the address of a website that links to the relevant registered design numbers. The initiative counts with the support of several interested parties within the intellectual property community.

After seeking advice on possible alterations to the current Registered Designs Act 1949, the British government questioned whether the current law which requires design owners to classify their products as “registered” next to the registered design number/s with the objective of deterring faultless infringement attempts.

The government also stated that the current measures are unmanageable and avert easy updating when registrations change. Associating products to web-links that redirect to the required information would facilitate changes made to UK patent rules as well as US practice.

The government stated that it “will seek an appropriate legislative vehicle to bring about this change as soon as possible.”