Search Legislation

Advanced Search

Intellectual Property Act 2014

Intellectual Property Act 2014

2014 CHAPTER 18

Commentary

Part 1: DESIGNS

Section 8: UK registered designs – Accession to the Hague Agreement

29.The Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement provides for and regulates an international system for the registration of industrial designs. Businesses in the UK have access to the Hague system through the EU having joined, but this limits the protection available to the EU as a whole. This makes using the system more costly and less advantageous for UK designers, specifically small and medium enterprises, who are not able to use the Hague system to gain protection specifically covering relevant territories rather than the entire EU.

30.Subsection (1) of section 8 inserts a new section 15ZA into the RDA which puts in place provisions to allow UK implementation of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement. Section 15ZA permits the Hague Agreement to be brought into effect in the UK by order of the Secretary of State, and lists the main areas which may be included in such an order, including for example the procedures that have to be followed when an international application requires protection in the UK.

31.Subsection (2) of section 8 (which amends section 37 of the RDA) provides that an order made under new section 15ZA must be laid in draft before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.