Section2
The Designs Act, 2000

Definitions

In force From 11 May 2001 Act 16 of 2000 As on 15 Oct 2026

Act 16 of 2000 Ministry Commerce and Industry Enacted 25 May 2000 In force 11 May 2001 Cited by 1 provision

Section 2 of the Designs Act, 2000 deals with definitions. In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,-- (a) "article" means any article of manufacture and any substance, artificial, or partly artificial and partly natural; The Act came into force on 11 May 2001.

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,--

(a) "article" means any article of manufacture and any substance, artificial, or partly artificial and partly natural; and includes any part of an article capable of being made and sold separately;

(b) "Controller" means the Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks referred to in section 3;

(c) "copyright" means the exclusive right to apply a design to any article in any class in which the design is registered;

(d) "design" means only the features of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament or composition of lines or colours applied to any article whether in two dimensional or three dimensional or in both forms, by any industrial process or means, whether manual, mechanical or chemical, separate or combined, which in the finished article appeal to and are judged solely by the eye; but does not include any mode or principle of construction or anything which is in substance a mere mechanical device, and does not include any trade mark as defined in clause (v) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 (43 of 1958) or property mark as defined in section 479 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) or any artistic work as defined in clause (c) of section 2 of the Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957).

(e) "High Court" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (i) of section 2 of the Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970);

(f) "legal representative" means a person who in law represents the estate of a deceased person;

(g) "original", in relation to a design, means originating from the author of such design and includes the cases which though old in themselves yet are new in their application;

(h) "Patent Office" means the patent office referred to in section 74 of the Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970);

(i) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(j) "proprietor of a new or original design",--

(i) where the author of the design, for good consideration, executes the work for some other person, means the person for whom the design is so executed;

(ii) where any person acquires the design or the right to apply the design to any article, either exclusively of any other person or otherwise, means, in the respect and to the extent in and to which the design or right has been so acquired, the person by whom the design or right is so acquired; and

(iii) in any other case, means the author of the design; and where the property in or the right to apply, the design has devolved from the original proprietor upon any other person, includes that other person.

Section 2, The Designs Act, 2000 (Act 16 of 2000).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Related judgements & precedents

These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.

  1. Bharat Glass Tube Ltd. v. Gopal Glass Works Ltd.

    Supreme Court of India 01 May 2008 Binding (Supreme Court) Reportable (2008) 10 SCC 657

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Judgment of Main Case order-13.pdf 2008-05-01 DATE VERIFIED. CA 3185/2008 (SLP(C) 16321/2006). A.K. Mathur / Altamas Kabir JJ. Isolate: Designs Act 2000 s.2(d) (design = features of shape/configuration/pattern/ornament applied to an article and judged by the eye), s.4 (no registration of a design that is not new or original or has been previously published in India or elsewhere), s.19 (cancellation). A prior German roller catalogue / UK registration does not cancel the Indian registration of the design as applied to glass sheets unless that design was previously applied to the same article. Do not pad s.11/s.22 (recited, not the holding). NEW central act.

    On this section: Designs Act s.2(d) defines a design as features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornament applied to an article and judged solely by the eye (Bharat Glass Tube).

    Read the full order on eCourts India

The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.

Questions about Section 2

What have the courts held on Section 2 of the Designs Act?

Bharat Glass Tube Ltd. v. Gopal Glass Works Ltd. (01 May 2008) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Designs Act s.2(d) defines a design as features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornament applied to an article and judged solely by the eye (Bharat Glass Tube).

How do I find court cases under Section 2 of the Designs Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Designs Act 2000 2, section 2 Designs Act 2000, section 2 of the Designs Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Bharat Glass Tube Ltd. v. Gopal Glass Works Ltd. (01 May 2008).

What should I read with Section 2 of the Designs Act, and has it changed?

Its own text turns on Copyright Act 2 (Interpretation), section 3 (Controller and other officers), Indian Penal Code 479 (Property mark), Patents Act 2 (Definitions and interpretation), and on 1 further provision, so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it.

When did Section 2 of the Designs Act come into force?

Section 2 of the Designs Act, cited as Designs Act 2000 2, came into force on 11 May 2001, having been enacted on 25 May 2000. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.