The Designs Act, 2000
Provides for registration and protection of industrial designs — features of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament or composition of lines or colours.
- Sections
- 48
- Chapters
- 11
- Tier
- Tier 1
In one line
What this Act says
Protects the look of a product — shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation — once registered, for up to 15 years.
Penalties
What happens if you break it
Piracy of registered design
§22Liable to pay ₹25,000 per contravention (max ₹50,000 per design) to the registered proprietor; injunction and damages.
Falsely marking design as registered
§49Fine up to ₹500 (offence under §49).
Headline offences only — not exhaustive. For the full text and every section, open the source PDF or the official link below.
Key Sections & Penalties
Designs Act at a Glance
| Section | Type | Provision | Applicability | Details / Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| §4 | structural | Prohibition of registration of certain designs | - | Administrative / Structural |
| §5 | structural | Registration of designs | - | Administrative / Structural |
| §11 | right | Copyright on registration | - | Administrative / Structural |
| §22 | civil | Piracy of registered design | - | Liable to pay ₹25,000 per contravention (max ₹50,000 per design) to the registered proprietor; injunction and damages medium RISK |
| §49 | civil | Falsely marking design as registered | - | Fine up to ₹500 medium RISK |
Maximum punishments as prescribed by the Act. Actual sentencing depends on facts, prior convictions and judicial discretion.
Sources
Read the Act yourself
We always show you the local source PDF and at least one verifiable online reference, so you can check anything we say.
Source PDF
Designs Act, 2000.pdf
Full text · opens in new tab
Reference
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org · opens in new tab
About this Act
Quick facts
- Year
- 2000
- Sections
- 48
- Chapters
- 11
- Tier
- Tier 1