{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/registered-designs-act-1949/section-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/registered-designs-act-1949/section-2.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/88",
  "legislation_title": "Registered Designs Act 1949",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/registered-designs-act-1949",
  "path": "section/2",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Proprietorship of designs.",
  "text": "(1) The author of a design shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the original proprietor of the design, subject to the following provisions.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(1B) Where... a design is created by an employee in the course of his employment, his employer shall be treated as the original proprietor of the design.\n(2) Where a design . . . 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 . . ..\n(3) In this Act the “ author ” of a design means the person who creates it.\n(4) In the case of a design generated by computer in circumstances such that there is no human author, the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the creation of the design are made shall be taken to be the author.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 2(1) substituted by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48, SIF 67A), s. 267(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 2(1A) omitted (1.10.2014) by virtue of Intellectual Property Act 2014 (c. 18), ss. 6(1)(a), 24(1); S.I. 2014/2330, art. 3, Sch. (with art. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(1B) omitted (1.10.2014) by virtue of Intellectual Property Act 2014 (c. 18), ss. 6(1)(b), 24(1); S.I. 2014/2330, art. 3, Sch. (with art. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(2) repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(2) repealed (9.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3949, reg. 9(2), Sch. 2 (with transitional provisions in regs. 10-14)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 2(3)(4) inserted by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48, SIF 67A), s. 267(3)(4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/88/section/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:19:58.992093+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."
}