{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/copyright-designs-and-patents-act-1988/section-172",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/copyright-designs-and-patents-act-1988/section-172.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1988/48",
  "legislation_title": "Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/copyright-designs-and-patents-act-1988",
  "path": "section/172",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "172",
  "heading": "General provisions as to construction.",
  "text": "(1) This Part restates and amends the law of copyright, that is, the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956, as amended.\n(2) A provision of this Part which corresponds to a provision of the previous law shall not be construed as departing from the previous law merely because of a change of expression.\n(3) Decisions under the previous law may be referred to for the purpose of establishing whether a provision of this Part departs from the previous law, or otherwise for establishing the true construction of this Part.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1956 c. 74."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 161, 162, 171(1)(3), 172-179 applied (1.12.1996) by S.I. 1996/2967, reg. 17(4) (with Pt. III)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/172",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:47:40.311838+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}