Summary

Amends the

to: implement recommendations of the former Advisory Council on Intellectual Property review of the designs system by: providing designers a 12-month grace period to apply for design protection after publishing or using their design to protect designers from losing their rights through inadvertent disclosure; introducing an infringement exemption for prior use; streamlining the initial steps for registering a design; correcting an anomaly to the innocent infringer defence where infringement occurs between filing and registration; providing exclusive licensees with legal standing to take infringement action through the courts; and extending the power of the Registrar of Designs to make directions about the forms of documents to 'approved forms' for designs; and make minor technical amendments.