UK

The 1988 Copyright Act effectively abolished Copyright in Industrial Products drawn after 1st August 1989, except where these can be regarded as works of artistic craftsmanship or of sculpture; although it still protects the drawings per se e.g. from unauthorised reproduction of them as such.

The 1988 Act introduces a new Design Right which is a largely similar protection. However it has the following features :-

  1. It lasts for ten years; although licences have to be granted if asked for during the second five years;
  2. It comes into existence not only from design documents (i.e. drawings) but also from

  1. prototypes;

  2. It does not cover features which "must fit" or "must match" features of other articles;
  3. Drawings and models made by nationals foreign to the UK and EEC countries do not attract design right.

The Design Right will continue the situation that products can be copied with impunity in restricted circumstances only.

It is prudent to mark products :-

Design and Copyright Reserved

© (ABC) Engineers Ltd 1990

The second line is the international copyright notice. 1990 is the year of first publication of the design and gives competitors information as to the end of the ten-year design right.