Detailed Summary

Design Piracy Prohibition Act - Extends copyright protection to fashion designs. Excludes from such protection fashion designs that are embodied in a useful article that was made public by the designer or owner more than three months before the registration of copyright application. Gives fashion designs copyright protection for three years.

Declares that is not infringement to make, have made, import, sell, or distribute any article embodying a design which was created without knowledge or reasonable grounds to know that protection for the design is claimed and was copied from such protected design.

Extends the definition of infringing article to include any article the design of which has been copied from an image of a protected design without the consent of the owner.

Applies the doctrines of secondary infringement and secondary liability to actions related to original designs. Makes any person who is liable under either such doctrine subject to all the remedies, including those attributable to any underlying or resulting infringement.

Requires the Register of Copyrights to determine whether or not the application relates to a design which on its face appears to be within the subject matter protected as original designs and, if so, register the design.

Increases allowable damage awards for infringement of original designs.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 5/4/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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