Registered Designs Act, 1958

Chapter 402

Repealed
This Act was repealed on 2017-06-02 by Industrial Designs Act, 2016.
This is the version of this Act as it was when it was repealed.
Citation
Chapter 402
Date
31 December 1996
Language
English
Type
Act
Related documents
Zambia

Registered Designs Act, 1958

Chapter 402

  • Commenced on 1 December 1958
  • [This is the version of this document as it was at 31 December 1996 to 15 April 2010.]
  • [This legislation has been revised and consolidated by the Ministry of Legal Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Zambia. This version is up-to-date as at 31st December 1996.]
  1. [Repealed by Industrial Designs Act, 2016 (Act 22 of 2016) on 2 June 2017]
[Federal Act 12 of 1958; Government Notices 187 of 1964; 497 of 1964; Statutory Instrument 175 of 1965; Acts No 16 of 1980; 25 of 1987; 13 of 1994]An Act to make provision relating to the registration of designs and for other purposes incidental thereto.

Part I – Preliminary

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Registered Designs Act.

2. Interpretation

(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—"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 Zambia 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 the *former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland or the former Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia may have acceded or to which the **Republic may accede in terms of section seven of the Patents Act;*Acceded with effect from 1st April, 1958. (F.G.N. No. 39 of 1958.)**Acceded with effect from 24th October, 1964. (G.N. No. 1751 of 1965.)"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 subsection (1) of section fourteen;"corresponding design", in relation to an artistic work, means a design which, when applied to an article, results in a reproduction of that work;"design" means features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornament applied to an article by any industrial process or means, being features which in the finished article appeal to and are judged solely by the eye, but does not include a method or principle of construction or features of shape or configuration which are dictated solely by the function which the article to be made in that shape or configuration has to perform;"Designs Office" means the Designs Office established under section three;"legal practitioner" means a person admitted or otherwise entitled to practise as a barrister and solicitor in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act;"legal representative" means—(a)the liquidator or receiver of a company;(b)the representative recognised by law of any person who has died, become bankrupt, assigned his estate, is an infant or a minor, or of unsound mind, or is otherwise under a disability;"Patent Journal" means the journal for which provision is made in section ninety-five of the Patents Act;"proprietor" has the meaning assigned to it by section eight;"register" means the register of designs kept under the provisions of this Act;[Please note: definitions omitted in the original.]
(2)Any reference in this Act to an article in respect of which a design is registered shall, in the case of a design registered in respect of a set of articles, be construed as a reference to any article of that set.
(3)Any question arising under this Act whether a number of articles constitutes a set of articles shall be determined by the Registrar; and notwithstanding anything in this Act any determination of the Registrar under this subsection shall be final.[Cap. 400; Cap. 30]

Part II – Administration

3. Establishment of Designs Office

There shall be established under the direction of the Minister an office to be called the Designs Office.

4. Appointment of officers

There shall be—
(a)a Registrar of Designs who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties assigned to the Registrar by this Act and shall be responsible for its administration; and
(b)one or more Deputy Registrars of Designs who shall, subject to the control of the Registrar, have all the powers conferred by this Act upon the Registrar; and
(c)such examiners and other officers as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

5. Seal

The seal of the Patent Office kept in terms of the Patents Act shall also be the seal of the Designs Office, and impressions thereof made for the purposes of this Act shall be judicially noticed.[Cap. 400]

6. Register of designs

(1)There shall be kept at the Designs Office for the purposes of this Act a register of designs wherein shall be entered all registered designs with the names and addresses of their proprietors, notifications of assignments and transmissions, and such other matters relating to registered designs as may be prescribed or as the Registrar may think fit.
(2)Subject to the provisions of this Act, the register of designs shall, at all convenient times, be open to inspection by the public, and certified copies, sealed with the seal of the Patent Office, of any entry in the register shall be given to any person requiring them on payment of the prescribed fee.
(3)The register of designs shall be prima facie evidence of any matters required or authorised by or under this Act to be entered therein.
(4)No notice of any trust, whether expressed, implied or constructive, shall be entered in the register, and the Registrar shall not be affected by any such notice.

Part III – Registrable designs and proceedings for registration

7. Designs registrable under Act

(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, a design may, upon application made by the person claiming to be the proprietor, his assignee or legal representative, be registered under this Act in respect of any article or set of articles specified in the application.
(2)Subject to the provisions of this Act, a design shall not be registered thereunder unless it is new or original and in particular shall not be so registered in respect of any article if it is the same as a design which before the date of the application for registration appears on the register or has been published in the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland or, after the 1st January, 1964, the former Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia or the Republic in respect of the same or any other article or differs from such a design only in immaterial details or in features which are variants commonly used in trade.
(3)Regulations made by the Minister under this Act may provide for excluding from registration thereunder designs for such articles, being articles which are primarily literary or artistic in character, as the Minister thinks fit.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

8. Proprietorship of designs

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the author of a design shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the proprietor of the design:Provided that where the design is executed by the author for another person for valuable consideration, that other person shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the proprietor.
(2)Where a design, or the right to apply a design to any article, becomes vested, whether by assignment, transmission or operation of law, in any person other than the original proprietor, either alone or jointly with the original proprietor, that other person, or, as the case may be, the original proprietor and that other person, shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the proprietor of the design or as the proprietor of the design in relation to that article.

9. Proceedings for registration

(1)An application for the registration of a design shall be made in the prescribed form and shall be lodged at the Designs Office in the prescribed manner.
(2)For the purpose of deciding whether a design is new or original, the Registrar may make such searches, if any, as he thinks fit.
(3)The Registrar may refuse any application for the registration of a design or may register the design in pursuance of the application subject to such modifications, if any, as he thinks fit.
(4)An application which, owing to any default or neglect on the part of the applicant, has not been completed so as to enable registration to be effected within such time as may be prescribed shall be deemed to be abandoned.
(5)Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Act, a design when registered shall be registered as of the date on which the application for registration was made, or such other date (whether earlier or later than that date) as the Registrar may in any particular case direct:Provided that no proceedings shall be taken in respect of any infringement of copyright in that design committed before the date on which the certificate of registration thereof under this Act is issued.
(6)An appeal shall lie from any decision of the Registrar under subsection (3).

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

(1)Where the registered proprietor of a design registered in respect of any article makes an application-
(a)for registration in respect of one or more other articles, of the registered design; or
(b)for registration in respect of the same or one or more other articles, of a design consisting of the registered design with modifications or variations not sufficient to alter the character or substantially to affect the identity thereof;
the application shall not be refused and the registration made on that application shall not be invalidated by reason only of the previous registration or publication of the registered design:Provided that the period of copyright in a design registered by virtue of this section shall not extend beyond the expiration of the original and any extended period of copyright in the original registered design.
(2)Where any person makes an application for the registration of a design in respect of any article and either—
(a)that design has been previously registered by another person in respect of some other article; or
(b)the design to which the application relates consists of a design previously registered by another person in respect of the same or some other article with modifications or variations not sufficient to alter the character or substantially to affect the identity thereof;
then, if at any time while the application is pending the applicant becomes the registered proprietor of the design previously registered, the provisions of subsection (1) shall apply as if at the time of making the application the applicant had been the registered proprietor of that design.

11. Provisions for secrecy of certain designs

(1)In this section, "competent authority" means the President or the Minister or Junior Minister, if any, to whom the President may assign special responsibilities for defence matters.
(2)Where an application for the registration of a design has been made, and it appears to the Registrar that the design is one of a class notified to him by the competent authority as relevant for defence purposes, he may give directions for prohibiting or restricting the publication of information with respect to the design, or the communication of such information to any person or class of persons specified in the directions.
(3)Regulations shall be made by the Minister under this Act for securing that the representation or specimen of a design, in the case of which directions are given under this section, shall not be open to inspection at the Designs Office during the continuance in force of the directions.
(4)Where the Registrar gives any such directions as aforesaid, he shall give notice of the application and of the directions to the competent authority, and thereupon the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:
(a)the competent authority shall, upon receipt of such notice, consider whether the publication of the design would be prejudicial to the defence of the Republic and unless a notice under paragraph (c) has previously been given by that authority to the Registrar, shall reconsider that question before the expiration of nine months from the date of lodging of the application for registration of the design and at least once in every subsequent year;
(b)for the purpose aforesaid, the competent authority may, at any time after the design has been registered or with the consent of the applicant, at any time before the design has been registered, inspect the representation or specimen of the design lodged in pursuance of the application;
(c)if upon consideration of the design at any time it appears to the competent authority that the publication of the design would not, or would no longer, be prejudicial to the defence of the Republic, that authority shall give notice to the Registrar to that effect;
(d)on the receipt of any such notice, the Registrar shall revoke the directions and may, subject to such conditions, if any, as he thinks fit, extend the time for doing anything required or authorised to be done by or under this Act in connection with the application or registration, whether or not that time has previously expired.
(5)No person ordinarily resident or domiciled in Zambia shall, while in Zambia, except under the authority of a written permit granted by or on behalf of the Registrar, make or cause to be made any application outside Zambia for the registration of a design of any class prescribed for the purposes of this subsection unless—
(a)an application for registration of the same design has been made in Zambia not less than six weeks before the application outside Zambia; and
(b)either no directions have been given under subsection (2) in relation to the application in Zambia or all such directions have been revoked.
(6)If any person fails to comply with any direction given under this section or makes or causes to be made an application for the registration of a design in contravention of this section, he shall be guilty of an offence.
(7)Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate, every person who at the time of the commission of the offence is a director, general manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or is purporting to act in any such capacity, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence unless he proves that the offence was committed without his consent or connivance and that he exercised all such deligence to prevent the commission of the offence as he ought to have exercised having regard to the nature of his functions in that capacity and to all the circumstances.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

12. Provisions as to confidential disclosure, etc.

(1)An application for the registration of a design shall not be refused, and the registration of a design shall not be invalidated, by reason only of—
(a)the disclosure of the design by the proprietor to any other person in such circumstances as would make it contrary to good faith for that other person to use or publish the design;
(b)the disclosure of the design in breach of good faith by any person other than the proprietor of the design;
(c)in the case of a new or original textile design intended for registration, the acceptance of a first and confidential order for goods bearing the design; or
(d)the communication of the design by the proprietor thereof to a Government department or to any person authorised by the Minister to consider the merits of the design, or of anything done in consequence of such a communication.
(2)Where copyright subsists in an artistic work, and an application is made by, or with the consent of, the owner of that copyright for the registration of a corresponding design, that design shall not be treated for the purposes of this Act as being other than new or original by reason only of any use previously made of the artistic work, unless—
(a)the previous use consisted of or included the sale, letting for hire, or offer for sale or hire of articles to which the design in question (or a design differing from it only as mentioned in subsection (2) of section seven) had been applied industrially, other than articles of a description specified in regulations made under subsection (3) of section seven; and
(b)that previous use was made by, or with the consent of, the owner of the copyright in the artistic work.
[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

13. Convention arrangements

(1)Any person who qualifies under Article 2 or 3 of the Convention and who has applied for protection for any design in a convention country, or his legal representative or assignee (if such assignee is also so qualified), may make an application for registration of that design in priority to other applicants; and the registration shall have the same date as the date of the application in the convention country or, where more than one such application for protection has been made, the date of the first such application:Provided that—
(i)the application for registration is made within six months from the date of the application for protection in the convention country or, where more than one such application for protection has been made, from the date of the first application;
(ii)no proceedings shall be taken in respect of any infringement of copyright in that design committed before the date on which the certificate of registration thereof under this Act is issued.
(2)An application for the registration of a design made by virtue of this section shall not be refused, and the registration of a design on such an application shall not be invalidated, by reason only of the registration or publication of the design in the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland or after the 1st January, 1964, the former Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia or the Republic during the period specified in proviso (i) to subsection (1) as that within which the application for registration may be made.
(3)Where an applicant referred to in subsection (1) has applied for protection for any design by an application which, in accordance with the law of any convention country, is equivalent to an application duly made in that convention country, he shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to have applied in that convention country.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

13A. Aripo industrial designs

(1)In this section—
(a)"ARIPO" means the African Regional Industrial Property Organisation, formerly known as the Industrial Property Organisation for English—Speaking Africa (ESARIPO), which was established, under the former name, by an agreement adopted at Lusaka on 9th December, 1976; and
(b)"ARIPO Protocol" means the Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs within the framework of ARIPO, adopted at Harare on 10th December, 1982.
(2)Where an industrial design has been registered by ARIPO under section 4 (7) of the ARIPO Protocol and the Registrar has not objected, under section 4 (3) of the Protocol, to the industrial design having effect in Zambia, the design shall for all purposes be deemed to have been registered under this Act.
(3)An industrial design shall not be deemed to have been registered under this section if, under section 4 (3) of the ARIPO Protocol, the Registrar objects to its having effect in Zambia.[As amended by Act No. 25 of 1987]

Part IV – Effect of registration, etc.

14. Right given by registration

(1)The registration of a design under this Act shall give to the registered proprietor the copyright in the registered design, that is to say, the exclusive right in Zambia to make or import for sale or for use for the purposes of any trade or business, or to sell, hire or offer for sale or hire, any article in respect of which the design is registered, being an article to which the registered design or a design not substantially different from the registered design has been applied, and to make anything for enabling any such article to be made as aforesaid.
(2)Subject to the provisions of this Act, the registration of a design shall have the same effect against the State as it has against a subject.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

15. Period of copyright

(1)Copyright in a registered design shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, subsist for a period of five years from the date of registration.
(2)The Registrar shall extend the period of copyright for a second period of five years from the expiration of the original period and for a third period of five years from the expiration of the second period if an application for extension of the period of copyright for the second or third period is made in the prescribed form before the expiration of the original period or the second period, as the case may be, and if the prescribed fee is paid before the expiration of the relevant period or within such further period (not exceeding three months) as may be specified in a request made to the Registrar and accompanied by the prescribed additional fee.
(3)Where in the case of a registered design it is shown—
(a)that the design, at the time when it was registered, was a corresponding design in relation to an artistic work in which copyright subsisted under the written law relating to copyright.
(b)that, by reason of a previous use of that artistic work, the design would not have been registrable under this Act but for subsection (2) of section twelve; and
(c)that the copyright in that work under the written law relating to copyright expired before the date of expiry of the copyright in the design;
the copyright in the design shall, notwithstanding anything in this section, be deemed to have expired at the same time as the copyright in the artistic work, and shall not be renewable after that time.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

16. Exemption of innocent infringer from liability for damages

(1)In proceedings for the infringement of copyright in a registered design, damages shall not be awarded against a defendant who proves that at the date of the infringement he was not aware, and had no reasonable ground for supposing, that the design was registered; and a person shall not be deemed to have been aware or to have had reasonable ground for supposing as aforesaid by reason only of the marking of an article with the word "registered" or any abbreviation thereof, or any word or words expressing or implying that the design applied to the article has been registered, unless the number of the design accompanied the word or words or the abbreviation in question.
(2)Nothing in this section shall affect the power of the High Court to grant an injunction or interdict in any proceedings for infringement of copyright in a registered design.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

17. Compulsory licence in respect of registered design

(1)At any time after a design has been registered, any person interested may apply to the Registrar for the grant of a compulsory licence in respect of the design on the ground that the design is not applied in Zambia by any industrial process or means to the article in respect of which it is registered to such an extent as is reasonable in the circumstances of the case; and the Registrar may make such order on the application as he thinks fit.
(2)An order for the grant of a licence shall, without prejudice to any other method of enforcement, have effect as if it were a deed executed by the registered proprietor and all other necessary parties, granting a licence in accordance with the order.
(3)No order shall be made under this section which would be at variance with any of the provisions of the Convention.
(4)An appeal shall lie from any order of the Registrar under this section.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

Part V – Use of registered designs for services of the State

18. Use of registered designs for services of the State

(1)Notwithstanding anything in this Act, any Government department or any person authorised in writing by the Minister may use any registered design for the services of the State in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(2)If and so far as the design has before the date of registration thereof been duly recorded by or applied by or on behalf of a Government department, otherwise than in consequence of the communication thereof directly or indirectly by the registered proprietor or any person from whom he derives title, any use of the design by virtue of this section may be made free of any royalty or other payment to the registered proprietor.
(3)If and so far as the design has not been so recorded or applied as aforesaid, any use of the design made by virtue of this section at any time after the date of registration thereof, or in consequence of any such communication as aforesaid, shall be made upon such terms as may be agreed upon, either before or after the use, between the Minister and the registered proprietor with the approval of the Minister responsible for finance, or as may in default of agreement be determined by the High Court on a reference under subsection (1) of section twenty-one.
(4)The authority of the Minister in respect of a design may be given under this section either before or after the design is registered and either before or after the acts in respect of which the authority is given are done, and may be given to any person, whether or not he is authorised directly or indirectly by the registered proprietor to use the design.
(5)Where any use of a design is made by a Government department or any person authorised by the Minister under this section, then, unless it appears to the Minister that it would be contrary to the public interest so to do, the Minister shall notify the registered proprietor as soon as practicable after the use is begun, and furnish him with such information as to the extent of the use as he may from time to time require.
(6)For the purposes of this Part, any use of a design for the supply to the government of any country outside Zambia, in pursuance of any agreement or arrangement between the Government and the government of that country, of articles required for the defence of that country shall be deemed to be a use of the design for the services of the State, and the power of a Government department or a person authorised by the Minister under this section to use a design shall include power—
(a)to sell such articles to the government of any country in pursuance of any such agreement or arrangement as aforesaid; and
(b)to sell to any person any articles made in the exercise of the powers conferred by this section which are no longer required for the purpose for which they were made.
(7)The purchaser of any articles sold in the exercise of powers conferred by this section, and any person claiming through him, shall have power to deal with them in the same manner as if the rights in the registered design were held on behalf of the State.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964, S.I. No. 175 of 1965 and Act No. 16 of 1980]

19. Rights of third parties in respect of State use

(1)In this section, "exclusive licence" means a licence from a registered proprietor which confers on the licensee or on the licensee and persons authorised by him, to the exclusion of all other persons (including the registered proprietor), any right in respect of the registered design.
(2)In relation to any use of a registered design, or a design in respect of which an application for registration is pending, made for the services of the State—
(a)by a Government department or a person authorised by the Minister under section eighteen; or
(b)by the registered proprietor or applicant for registration to the order of a Government department;
the provisions of any licence, assignment or agreement made, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, between the registered proprietor or applicant for registration or any person who derives title from him or from whom he derives title and any person other than a Government department, shall be of no effect so far as those provisions restrict or regulate the use of the design, or any model, document or information relating thereto, or provide for the making of payments in respect of any such use, or calculated by reference thereto; and the reproduction or publication of any model or document in connection with the said use shall not be deemed to be an infringement of any copyright subsisting in the model or document.
(3)Where an exclusive licence granted otherwise than for royalties or other benefits determined by reference to the use of the design is in force under the registered design, then—
(a)in relation to any use of the design which, but for the provisions of this section and section eighteen, would constitute an infringement of the rights of the licensee, subsection (3) of section eighteen shall have effect as if for the reference to the registered proprietor there were substituted a reference to the licensee; and
(b)in relation to any use of the design by the licensee by virtue of an authority given under section eighteen, that section shall have effect as if subsection (3) thereof were omitted.
(4)Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), where the registered design or the right to apply for or obtain registration of the design has been assigned to the registered proprietor in consideration of royalties or other benefits determined by reference to the use of the design, then
(a)in relation to any use of the design by virtue of section eighteen, subsection (3) of that section shall have effect as if the reference to the registered proprietor included a reference to the assignor, and any sum payable by virtue of that subsection shall be divided between the registered proprietor and the assignor in such proportion as may be agreed upon between them or as may in default of agreement be determined by the High Court on a reference under section twenty-one; and
(b)in relation to any use of the design made for the services of the State by the registered proprietor to the order of a Government department, subsection (3) of section eighteen shall have effect as if that use were made by virtue of an authority given under that section.
(5)Where, under subsection (3) of section eighteen, payments are required to be made by a Government department to a registered proprietor in respect of any use of a design, any person being the holder of an exclusive licence under the registered design (not being such a licence as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section) authorising him to make that use of the design shall be entitled to recover from the registered proprietor such part, if any, of those payments as may be agreed upon between that person and the registered proprietor, or as may in default of agreement be determined by the High Court under section twenty-one to be just having regard to any expenditure incurred by that person—
(a)in developing the said design; or
(b)in making payments to the registered proprietor, other than royalties or other payments determined by reference to the use of the design, in consideration of the licence; and if, at any time before the amount of any such payment has been agreed upon between the Government department and the registered proprietor, that person gives notice in writing of his interest to the department, any agreement as to the amount of that payment shall be of no effect unless it is made with his consent.
[As amended by S.I. No. 175 of 1965 and Act No. 16 of 1980]

20. Special provisions as to State use during emergency

(1)In this section, "period of emergency" means any period beginning on such date as may be declared by the Minister by statutory notice to be the commencement, and ending on such date as may be so declared to be the termination, of a period of emergency.
(2)During any period of emergency the powers exercisable in relation to a design by a Government department or a person authorised by the Minister under section eighteen, shall include power to use the design for any purpose which appears to the Minister necessary or expedient—
(a)for the efficient prosecution of any war in which the Republic may be engaged;
(b)for the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community;
(c)for securing a sufficiency of supplies and services essential to the well-being of the community;
(d)for promoting the productivity of industry, commerce and agriculture;
(e)for fostering and directing exports and reducing imports or imports of any classes, from all or any countries and for redressing the balance of trade;
(f)generally for ensuring that the whole resources of the community are available for use, and are used, in a manner best calculated to serve the interests of the community; or
(g)for assisting the relief of suffering and the restoration and distribution of essential supplies and services in Zambia or any foreign countries that are in grave distress as the result of war; and any reference in this Part to the services of the State shall be construed as including a reference to the purposes aforesaid.
[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

21. Reference of disputes as to State use

(1)Any dispute as to—
(a)the exercise by a Government department or a person authorised by the Minister of the powers conferred by section eighteen;
(b)the terms for the use of a design for the services of the State thereunder; or
(c)the right of any person to receive any part of a payment made in pursuance of subsection (3) of section eighteen; may be referred to the High Court by any party to the dispute in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2)In any proceedings under this section to which a Government department is a party, the Government department may—
(a)if the registered proprietor is a party to the proceedings, apply for cancellation of the registration of the design upon any ground upon which the deletion of a design may be ordered by the High Court under section twenty-four;
(b)in any case, put in issue the validity of the registration of the design without applying for its cancellation.
(3)If in such proceedings as aforesaid any question arises whether a design has been recorded or applied as mentioned in section eighteen and the disclosure of any document recording the design, or of any evidence of the application thereof, would, in the opinion of the Government department, be prejudicial to the public interest, the disclosure may be made confidentially to counsel appearing for the other party or to an independent expert agreed upon by the parties.
(4)In determining under this section any dispute between a Government department and any person as to terms for the use of a design for the services of the State, the High Court shall have regard to any benefit or compensation which that person or any person from whom he derives title may have received, or may be entitled to receive, directly or indirectly from any Government department in respect of the design in question.[As amended by S.I. No. 175 of 1965 and Act No. 16 of 1980]

Part VI – Assignments. corrections and cancellation

22. Registration of assignments, etc.

(1)Where any person becomes entitled by assignment, transmission or operation of law to a registered design or to a share in a registered design, or becomes entitled as mortgagee, licensee or otherwise to any other interest in a registered design, he may apply to the Registrar in the prescribed manner for the registration of his title as proprietor or co-proprietor or, as the case may be, of notice of his interest, in the register.
(2)Without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (1), an application for the registration of the title of any person becoming entitled by assignment to a registered design or a share in a registered design, or becoming entitled by virtue of a mortgage, licence or other instrument to any other interest in a registered design, may be made in the prescribed manner by the assignor, mortgagor, licensor or other party to that instrument, as the case may be.
(3)Where application is made under this section for the registration of title of any person, the Registrar shall, upon proof of title to his satisfaction—
(a)where that person is entitled to a registered design or a share in a registered design, register him in the register as proprietor or co—proprietor of the design, and enter in that register particulars of the instrument or event by which he derives title; or
(b)where that person is entitled to any other interest in the registered design, enter in that register notice of his interest, with particulars of the instrument, if any, creating it.
(4)Subject to any rights vested in any other person of which notice is entered in the register of designs, the person or persons registered as proprietor of a registered design shall have power to assign, grant licences under, or otherwise deal with the design, and to give effectual receipts for any consideration for any such assignment, licence or dealing.
(5)Except for the purposes of an application to rectify the register under the provisions of this Act, a document in respect of which no entry has been made in the register under subsection (3) shall not be admitted in any proceedings as evidence of the title of any person to a registered design or share of or interest in a registered design unless the High Court or the Supreme Court otherwise directs.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and Act No. 16 of 1980]

23. Power of Registrar to authorise corrections

(1)The Registrar may authorise the correction of any clerical error or omission or error in translation in any application for the registration or in the representation of a design, or any error in the register.
(2)A correction may be made in pursuance of this section, either upon a request in writing made by any person interested and accompanied by the prescribed fee, or without such a request.
(3)Where it is proposed to make a correction otherwise than upon such a request, the Registrar shall give notice of the proposal to the registered proprietor or the applicant for registration of the design, as the case may be, and to any other person who appears to him to be concerned, and shall give any such person an opportunity of being heard before the correction is made.

24. Rectification of register

(1)The High Court may, on the application of any person aggrieved, order the register to be rectified by the making of any entry therein or the variation or deletion of any entry therein.
(2)The High Court may determine any question which it may be necessary or expedient to decide in connection with the rectification of the register.
(3)[Repealed by Act No. 16 of 1980]
(4)A notice of any order made by the High Court under this section shall be served on the Registrar in the prescribed manner, and the Registrar shall, on receipt of the notice, rectify the register accordingly.[As amended by Act No 16 of 1980]

25. Cancellation of registration

(1)The Registrar may, upon a request made in the prescribed manner by the registered proprietor, cancel the registration of a design.
(2)At any time after a design has been registered, any person interested may apply to the Registrar for the cancellation of the registration of the design on the ground that—
(a)the design was not, at the date of the registration thereof, new or original;
(b)the design, at the time when it was registered, was a corresponding design in relation to an artistic work in which copyright subsisted under the written law relating to copyright;
(c)by reason of a previous use of that artistic work, the design would not have been registrable under this Act but for subsection (2) of section twelve; or
(d)the copyright in that work under the written law relating to copyright has expired; or on any other ground on which the Registrar could have refused to register the design; and the Registrar may make such order on the application as he thinks fit.
(3)An appeal shall lie from any order of the Registrar under subsection (2).[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

Part VII – Functions of Registrar in relation to certain evidence, documents and powers

26. Evidence of certain entries and documents

(1)A certificate purporting to be signed by the Registrar and certifying that any entry which he is authorised by or under this Act to make has or has not been made, or that any other thing which he is so authorised to do has or has not been done, shall be prima facie evidence of the matters so certified.
(2)A copy of any entry in the register or of any representation, specimen or document kept in the Designs Office or an extract from the register or any such document, purporting to be certified by the Registrar and to be sealed with the seal of the Patent Office, shall be admitted in evidence without further proof and without production of the original.

27. Inspection of registered designs

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section and to any regulation made by the Minister in pursuance of subsection (3) of section eleven, the representation or specimen of a design registered under this Act shall be open to inspection at the Designs Office on and after the day on which the certificate of registration is issued.
(2)In the case of a design registered in respect of an article of any class prescribed for the purposes of this subsection, no representation or specimen of the design lodged in pursuance of the application shall, until the expiration of such period after the day on which the certificate of registration is issued as may be prescribed in relation to articles of that class, be open to inspection at the Designs Office except by the registered proprietor, a person authorised in writing by the registered proprietor, or a person authorised by the Registrar, the High Court or Supreme Court:Provided that where the Registrar proposes to refuse an application for the registration of any other design on the ground that it is the same as the first-mentioned design or differs from that design only in immaterial details or in features which are variants commonly used in the trade, the applicant shall be entitled to inspect the representation or specimen of the first-mentioned design lodged in pursuance of the application for registration of that design.
(3)In the case of a design registered in respect of an article of any class prescribed for the purposes of subsection (2), the representation or specimen of the design shall not, during the period prescribed as aforesaid, be inspected by any person by virtue of this section except in the presence of the Registrar or of an officer acting under him; and except in the case of an inspection authorised by the proviso to that subsection, the person making the inspection shall not be entitled to take a copy of the representation or specimen of the design or any part thereof.
(4)Where an application for the registration of a design has been abandoned or refused, neither the application for registration nor any representation or specimen of the design lodged in pursuance thereof shall at any time be open to inspection at the Designs Office or be published by the Registrar.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

28. Information as to existence of copyright

On the request of any person furnishing such information as may enable the Registrar to identify the design and on payment of the prescribed fee, the Registrar shall inform him whether the design is registered, and, if so, in respect of what articles, and whether any extension of the period of copyright in relation to that design has been granted and shall state the date of registration and the name and address of the registered proprietor.

29. Certificate of registration

The Registrar shall grant a certificate of registration in the prescribed form to the registered proprietor of a design when the design is registered.

30. Copies of certificates of registration

The Registrar may, in a case where he is satisfied that the certificate of registration referred to in section twenty-nine has been lost or destroyed, or in any other case in which he thinks it expedient, furnish one or more copies of the certificate.

31. Exercise of discretionary powers of Registrar

Without prejudice to any provisions of this Act requiring the Registrar to hear any party to proceedings thereunder, or, to give to any such party an opportunity to be heard, the Registrar shall give to any applicant for registration of a design an opportunity to be heard before exercising adversely to this Act. the applicant any discretion vested in the Registrar by or under this Act.

32. Proceedings before Registrar

(1)Subject to the provisions of section fifty-five, evidence in any proceedings before the Registrar under this Act shall be given by affidavit, so, however, that the Registrar may, if he thinks fit in any particular case, take oral evidence on oath in lieu of or in addition to such evidence as aforesaid and may allow any witness to be cross-examined on his affidavit or oral evidence.
(2)The powers, rights and privileges of the Registrar in proceedings before him under this Act shall be the same as those conferred upon commissioners by the Inquiries Act and the provisions of that Act shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in relation to the hearing and determination of any matter before the Registrar under this Act and to any person summoned to give evidence or giving evidence before him.[Cap. 41][As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

33. Power of Registrar to award costs

In all proceedings before the Registrar under this Act, the Registrar shall have power to award to any party such costs as he may consider reasonable and to direct how and by what parties they are to be paid, and any costs so awarded shall be taxed by the High Court and payment thereof may be enforced in the same manner as if they were costs allowed by the High Court.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

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

The Registrar may in any proceeding held before him decide the hours, times and places at which he will sit and he may adjourn any proceedings for such time and to such place as he may think fit.

Part VIII – Appeals and legal proceedings

35. High court to hear appeals

Where this Act provides for an appeal from a decision of the Registrar, such appeal shall be made to the High Court.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

36. ***

[Repealed by Act No. 16 of 1980]

37. ***

[Repealed by Act No. 16 of 1980]

38. Rules of court

The Chief Justice may, by statutory instrument, make rules regulating the practice and procedure relating to appeals or references to the High Court or the Supreme Court, as the case may be, as to—
(a)the time within which any requirement of the rules is to be complied with;
(b)the costs and expenses of an incidental to any proceedings;
(c)the fees to be charged in respect of such proceedings;
(d)the summary determination of any appeal which appears to the High Court or the Supreme Court, as the case may be, to be frivolous or vexatious or to be brought for the purpose of delay.
[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

39. Time for appeals

Appeals under this Part, whether from decisions of the Registrar or orders or decisions of the High Court, shall be brought within three months after the date of the decision or order in question, or within such further time as the High Court or Supreme Court may allow upon application by the appellant concerned.

40. References to high court by Registrar

When any matter to be decided by the Registrar under this Act appears to him to involve a point of law or to be of unusual importance or complexity, he may, after giving notice to the parties, refer such matter to the High Court for a decision and shall thereafter, in relation to such matter, act in accordance with the decision of the High Court or any decision substituted therefor on appeal to the Supreme Court.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

41. Certification of validity

In any legal proceeding in which the validity of the registration of a design is contested and is decided in favour of the registered proprietor of the design, the High Court or Supreme Court may certify to that effect and, if it is so certifies, then, in any subsequent legal proceeding in which the validity of the registration comes into question, the registered proprietor of the design, on obtaining a final order or judgment in his favour, shall have his full costs, charges and expenses as between solicitor and client, unless in that subsequent proceeding the High Court or Supreme Court directs that he ought not to have them.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and Act No. 16 of 1980]

42. Infringement action to be heard in High court

Any action or legal proceeding relating to the infringement of copyright in a registered design shall be brought in the High Court.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

43. Remedy for groundless threats of infringement proceedings

(1)Where any person (whether entitled to or interested in a registered design or an application for registration of a design or not) by circulars, advertisements or otherwise threatens any other person with proceedings for infringement of the copyright in a registered design, any person aggrieved thereby may bring an action against him in the High Court for any such relief as is mentioned in subsection (2).
(2)Unless in any action brought by virtue of this section the defendant proves that the acts in respect of which proceedings were threatened constitute or, if done, would constitute, an infringement of the copyright in a registered design, the registration of which is not shown by the plaintiff to be invalid, the plaintiff shall be entitled to the following relief, that is to say:
(a)a declaration to the effect that the threats are unjustifiable;
(b)an injunction or interdict against the continuance of the threats; and
(c)such damages, if any, as he has sustained thereby.
(3)For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that a mere notification that a design is registered does not constitute a threat of proceedings within the meaning of this section.
(4)The defendant in any such action as aforesaid may apply, by way of counter-claim in the action, for any relief to which he would be entitled in a separate action in respect of any infringement by the plaintiff of the design to which the threats relate.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

44. Security for costs and taxation of costs

(1)When a party to proceedings before the Registrar is resident outside Zambia, the Registrar may order such party to give security, within such time as may be directed, for the costs of the proceedings.
(2)If the party ordered to give security for costs fails to do so within the time directed, the Registrar may treat the proceedings as abandoned.
(3)Where a bond is to be given as security for costs, it shall, unless the Registrar otherwise directs, be given to the party requiring the security.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

45. Costs of Registrar

In all proceedings before the High Court under this Act, the costs of the Registrar shall be in the discretion of the High Court, but the Registrar shall not be ordered to pay the costs of any of the other parties.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

46. Appeals to Supreme Court

Any party to any proceedings before the High Court may appeal in accordance with rules made under this Part from any order or decision of that Court to the Supreme Court.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

Part IX – Offences and penalties

47. Falsification of entries in register

Any person who makes or causes to be made a false entry in the register, or a writing falsely purporting to be a copy of an entry in the register, or who produces or tenders or causes to be produced or tendered in evidence any such writing, knowing the entry or writing to be false, shall be guilty of an offence.

48. Penalty for falsely representing a design as registered

(1)Any person who—
(a)falsely represents that a design applied to any article sold by him is registered in respect of that article; or
(b)after the copyright in a registered design has expired, marks any article to which the design has been applied with the word "registered", or any word or words implying that there is a subsisting copyright in the design, or causes any such article to be so marked;
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of one thousand five hundred penalty units or, in default of payment, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both.
(2)For the purposes of this section, a person who sells an article on which he has, or has caused to have, stamped, engraved or impressed or to which he has, or has caused to have, otherwise applied the word "registered", or any other word expressing or implying that the design is registered, shall be deemed to represent that the design applied to the article is registered in respect of that article.[As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994]

49. Deceiving or influencing the Registrar or an officer

(1)Any person who—
(a)for the purpose of deceiving the Registrar or any other officer of the Designs Office in the execution of the provisions of this Act; or
(b)for the purpose of procuring or influencing the doing or omission of anything in relation to this Act or any other matter thereunder;
makes or submits a false statement or representation, whether orally or in writing, knowing the same to be false, shall be guilty of an offence.
(2)Any person who, having innocently made a false statement or representation, whether orally or in writing, for the purpose of procuring or influencing the doing or omission of anything in relation to this Act or any matter thereunder and who on becoming aware that such statement or representation was false fails to advise the Registrar forthwith of such falsity, shall be guilty of an offence.

50. Witness giving false evidence

Any person who, after having been sworn or having in lieu thereof made an affirmation or declaration, wilfully gives false evidence before the Registrar concerning the subject-matter of the proceeding in question, knowing such evidence to be false or not knowing or believing it to be true, shall be guilty of an offence.

51. Penalties

Save where otherwise provided in this Act, any person who is guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifteen thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, or to both.[As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994]

Part X – Miscellaneous

52. Recognition of agents

Where by this Act any act has to be done by or to any person in connection with a design or any procedure relating thereto, the act may under and in accordance with the regulations or, in particular cases, by special leave of the Registrar, be done by or to an agent of that person duly authorised in the prescribed manner.

53. Lodging and authentication of documents

(1)Any application, notice or document authorised or required under this Act to be lodged, made or given at the Designs Office or to the Registrar or to any other person may be delivered by hand or sent by registered post.
(2)No authentication shall be required in respect of any document lodged in the Designs Office under the provisions of this Act.[As amended by Act No. 16 of 1980]

54. Provisions as to fees

(1)Where under the provisions of this Act—
(a)a fee is payable in respect of the performance of any act by the Registrar, the Registrar shall not perform that act until the fee has been paid;
(b)a fee is payable in respect of the doing of any act by any person other than the Registrar, the act shall be deemed not to have been done until the fee has been paid; or
(c)a fee is payable in respect of the lodging of a document, the document shall be deemed not to have been lodged until the fee has been paid.
(2)All fees shall be paid at the Designs Office in such manner as the Registrar, with the approval of the Minister, may accept.

55. Oaths and affirmations

Any person who is required under the provisions of this Act to take any oath or swear to the truth of any affidavit may, in lieu thereof, make an affirmation or declaration in accordance with the written law relating to affirmations or declarations.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964]

56. Journal

The Minister may direct the publication by the Registrar in the Patent Journal of any reports of cases on designs and other relevant matters as the Minister may deem fit.

57. Savings

(1)Nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorising or requiring the Registrar to register a design the use of which would, in his opinion, be contrary to law or morality.
(2)Nothing in this Act shall affect the right of the Government or of any person deriving title directly or indirectly from the Government to sell or use articles forfeited to the President under the provisions of any written law.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

58. Regulations

(1)The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations prescribing anything which under this Act is to be prescribed and generally for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of this Act or to give force or effect to its provisions or for its better administration.
(2)Without derogation from the generality of the provisions of subsection (1), regulations made by the Minister may provide for—
(a)the form of applications for registration of designs and of any representations or specimens of designs or other documents which may be lodged at the Designs Office, and for requiring copies to be furnished of any such representations, specimens or documents;
(b)the procedure to be followed in connection with any application or request to the Registrar, or any proceeding before him, and the authorising of the rectification of irregularities of procedure;
(c)the service of notices and other documents required to be served in connection with proceedings under this Act;
(d)the conduct of the business of the Designs Office;
(e)authorising the publication and the sale of copies of representations of designs and other documents in the Designs Office.
(3)The Minister may prescribe a tariff of the fees which shall be payable in respect of any application, registration or other matter under this Act and the fees shall be payable as so prescribed.

Part XI – Application and transitional provisions

59. Application of Act and transitional provisions

Any design which immediately before the commencement of this Act was registered in the United Kingdom under any enactment relating to registered designs and was protected in the former Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia under the United Kingdom Designs (Protection) Act, Chapter 206 of the 1948 Edition of the Laws, shall be deemed to be registered under this Act and the copyright in that design shall subsist in Zambia while copyright therein subsists in the United Kingdom.[As amended by G.N. No. 187 of 1964 and S.I. No. 175 of 1965]

60. ***

[Repealed by Act No. 16 of 1980]
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History of this document

02 June 2017
16 April 2010 amendment not yet applied
31 December 1996 this version
Consolidation
01 December 1958
Commenced

Subsidiary legislation

Title
Date
Registered Designs (Appeals) Rules, 1984 Statutory Instrument 7 of 1984 27 January 1984
Registered (Amendment) Regulations, 1981 Statutory Instrument 40 of 1981 27 February 1981