Designs Act, 1911
53. Piracy of registered design
(1) During the existence of copyright in any
design it shall not be lawful for any person -
(a) for the purpose of
sale to apply or cause to be applied to any article in any class of goods in
which the design is registered the design or any fraudulent or obvious
imitation thereof except with the license or written consent of the registered
proprietor or to do anything with a view to enable the design to be so applied;
or
(aa) to import for the
purposes of sale without the consent of the registered proprietor any article
belonging to the class in which the design has been registered and having
applied to it the design or any fraudulent or obvious imitation thereof; or
(b) knowing that the
design or any fraudulent or obvious imitation thereof has been applied to any
article in any class of goods in which the design is registered without the
consent of the registered proprietor to publish or expose or cause to be
published or exposed for sale that article.
(2) If any person acts in contravention of
this section he shall be liable for every contravention -
(a) to pay to the
registered proprietor of the design a sum not exceeding five hundred rupees
recoverable as a contract debt or
(b) if the proprietor
elects to bring a suit for the recovery of damages for any such contravention
and for an injunction against the repetition thereof to pay such damages as may
be awarded and to be restrained by injunction accordingly :
Provided that the total sum
recoverable in respect of any one design under clause (a) shall not exceed one
thousand rupees.
(3) When the court makes a decree in a suit
under sub-section (2) it shall send a copy of the decree to the Controller who
shall cause an entry thereof to be made in the Register of Designs.