REGISTERED DESIGNS

CHAPTER 49:05
REGISTERED DESIGNS

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART I
ADMINISTRATION

    3.    Establishment of Designs Office

    4.    Appointment of officers

    5.    Seal

    6.    Register of designs

PART II
REGISTRABLE DESIGNS AND PROCEEDINGS FOR REGISTRATION

    7.    Designs registrable under Act

    7A.    Designs registered under the Protocol

    8.    Proprietorship of designs

    9.    Proceedings for registration

    10.    Registration of same design in respect of other articles, etc.

    11.    Provisions for secrecy of certain designs

    12.    Provisions as to confidential disclosure, etc.

    13.    Convention arrangements

PART III
EFFECT OF REGISTRATION, ETC.

    14.    Right given by registration

    15.    Period of copyright

    16.    Exemption of innocent infringer from liability for damages

    17.    Compulsory licence in respect of registered design

PART IV
USE OF REGISTERED DESIGNS FOR SERVICES OF GOVERNMENT, ETC.

    18.    Use of registered designs for services of the Government

    19.    Rights of third parties in respect of Government use

    20.    Special provisions as to Government use during emergency

    21.    Reference of disputes as to Government use

PART V
ASSIGNMENTS, CORRECTIONS AND CANCELLATION

    22.    Registration of assignments, etc.

    23.    Power of Registrar to authorize corrections

    24.    Rectification of register

    25.    Cancellation of registration

PART VI
FUNCTIONS OF REGISTRAR IN RELATION TO CERTAIN EVIDENCE, DOCUMENTS AND POWERS

    26.    Evidence of certain entries and documents

    27.    Inspection of registered designs

    28.    Information as to existence of copyright

    29.    Certificate of registration

    30.    Copies of certificates of registration

    31.    Exercise of discretionary power of Registrar

    32.    Proceedings before Registrar

    33.    Power of Registrar to award costs

    34.    Power of Registrar to fix time and place of sitting, etc.

PART VII
APPEALS AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

    35.    Patents Tribunal to hear appeals

    36.    Right of audience

    37.    Assessors

    38.    Rules

    39.    Time for appeals

    40.    References to Tribunal by Registrar

    41.    Certification of validity

    42.    Infringement action to be heard in High Court

    43.    Remedy for groundless threats of infringement proceedings

    44.    Security for costs and taxation of costs

    45.    Costs of Registrar

    46.    Appeals to High Court

PART VIII
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

    47.    Falsification of entries in register

    48.    Penalty for falsely representing a design as registered

    49.    Deceiving or influencing the Registrar or an officer

    50.    Witness giving false evidence

    51.    Penalties

PART IX
MISCELLANEOUS

    52.    Recognition of agents

    53.    Lodging and authentication of documents

    54.    Provisions as to fees

    55.    Oaths and affirmations

    56.    Journal

    57.    Savings

    58.    Power to make regulations

PART X
APPLICATION AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

    59.    Application of Act and transitional proceedings

12 of 1958
(F) 9 of 1985
G.N 5/1964(M)
166/1967

An Act to make Provision Relating to the Registration of Designs and for other purposes Incidental thereto.

Preliminary

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Registered Designs Act.

2.    Interpretation

    (1) In this Act, unless inconsistent with the context—

    “article” means any article of manufacture and includes any part of an article if that part is made and sold separately;

    “artistic work” means a work of any of the following descriptions, that is to say—

    (a)    the following, irrespective of artistic quality, namely, paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and photographs;

    (b)    works of architecture, being either buildings or models for buildings;

    (c)    works of artistic craftsmanship, not falling within paragraph (a) or (b);

    “assignee” means—

    (a)    the person who has derived his title to the design for Malawi directly or indirectly from the proprietor thereof or from the latter’s assignee; or

    (b)    the legal representative of such person;

    “Convention” means the Union Convention of Paris, dated the 20th March, 1883, for the Protection of Industrial Property, revised at Brussels on the 14th December, 1900, at Washington on the 2nd June, 1911, at The Hague on the 6th November, 1925, and at London on the 2nd June, 1934, and any revision thereof to which Malawi may accede in terms of section 7 of the Patents Act;

    “convention country” means a country (including any colony, protectorate or territory subject to the authority or under the suzerainty of that country, or any territory over which a mandate or trusteeship is exercised) which has been declared to be a convention country in terms of the Patents Act;

    “copyright”, in relation to a registered design, has the meaning assigned to it by section 14(1);

    “corresponding design”, in relation to an artistic work, means a design which, when applied to an article, results…