Explanatory note

This Order, made pursuant to section 13(1) of the Registered Designs Act 1949, declares the countries specified in the Schedule to be convention countries for the purposes of all provisions of that Act. The countries specified in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Schedule to this Order have acceded to the International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (“the Paris Convention”) (as revised at Stockholm in 1967) (Cmnd. 4431) since the last order (S.I. 1994/3219) was made. The countries specified in Part 3 of the Schedule to this Order are countries not party to the Paris Convention but are countries each of which is party to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation (including the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) (Cm. 2556-59, 2561-69, 2571-74). They are designated as convention countries (and the appropriate amendments are made to the 1994 Order) from the date on which that part of the Agreement relating to intellectual property, including matters relating to designs, enters into force for the United Kingdom.