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Statutory Instruments

2006 No. 1974

REGULATORY REFORM

DESIGNS

The Regulatory Reform (Registered Designs) Order 2006

Made

26th July 2006

Coming into force

1st October 2006

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (“the Secretary of State”) has—

(a)consulted(1), in accordance with section 5(1) of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001(2),

(i)such organisations as appear to him to be representative of interests substantially affected by his proposals for this Order,

(ii)the Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks,

(iii)the Law Commission,

(iv)the National Assembly for Wales,

(v)such other persons as he considers appropriate;

(b)following that consultation, considered it appropriate to proceed with the making of this Order;

(c)laid a document containing his proposals before Parliament as required by section 6 of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 and the period for Parliamentary consideration under section 8 of that Act has expired;

(d)had regard to the representations made during this period, in particular the Seventeenth Report of Session 2005-6 of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee of the House of Lords(3) and the Fifth Report of Session 2005-6 of the Regulatory Reform Committee of the House of Commons(4);

(e)laid a draft of this Order before Parliament with a statement giving details of those representations and the changes he has made to his proposals in light of them;

(f)reached the opinion that this Order does not remove any necessary protection or prevent any person from continuing to exercise any right or freedom which he might reasonably expect to continue to exercise.

The draft of this Order has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament pursuant to section 4(2) of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001.

Accordingly, the Secretary of State makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 1 of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001:

(1)

A consultation document on the modernisation of design practice entitled “Consultation on the Modernisation of the UK System of Registration of Designs” was published by the Patent Office on 7th July 2005. Copies may be obtained from the Trade Marks and Designs Directorate, The Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP10 8QQ.

(3)

Seventeenth Report published on 3rd April 2006, HL 160.

(4)

Fifth Report published on 26th May 2006, HC 1142.