Us Copyright Office News

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that a vessel hull design that merely corrects a mistake in an earlier design is not substantial. In the instant case, plaintiff boat company designed and produced a new boat. The vessel hull design was submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office for registration, but the submittal was made too late after production had started to qualify. The boat was redesigned to correct minor mistakes in the original design. The revised vessel hull design was then submitted for copyright protection and accepted. Two other companies began producing boats the design of which was similar to that of plaintiff’s redesigned boat. Plaintiff brought suit.

In preparation for a report to Congress on the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, the U.S. Copyright Office and Patent and Trademark Office are requesting written comments and are announcing a public meeting. The Act created sui generis protection for original designs of watercraft hulls and decks. The two agencies are tasked with reporting to Congress on the effectiveness of the Act. They will hold a public meeting in Washington, DC on March 27, 2003. Written comments should be submitted by March 20, 2003. 68 Fed. Reg. 7350 Source: HK Law