Dominica

MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT

CHAPTER 78:47

Act 12ofl887

Amended by 19 of 1939

Current Authorised Pages Pages Authorised

(inclusive) byLR.O.

1-13 111991

L.R.O.1I1991

Note on

Subsidiary Legislation

1bis Chapter contains no Subsidiary Legislation.

CHAPTER 78:47

MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SECfION

1. Short title. 2. Interpretation. 3. Offences as to trade marks and trade deSCriptions. 4. Forging trade mark. 5. Applying marks and description. 6. Exemption ofcertain persons employed in ordinary course of

business. 7. Application of Act to watches. 8. Trade mark, how described in pleading. 9. Rules as to evidence.

10. Punishment of accessory. 11. Search warrant and forfeiture. 12. Costs of defence or prosecution. 13. Limitation of prosecution. 14. Prohibition on importation. 15. Implied warranty on sale of marked goods. 16. Provisions as to false deSCription not to apply in certain cases. 17. Savings.

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1961 Ed. Cap. 322. 12 of 1887.

Commencement.

Short title.

Interpretation.

CHAPTER 78:47

MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT

AN ACT relating to Merchandise Marks.

[31st December 1887]

1. This Act may be cited as the ­

MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT.

2. (1) In this Act ­

"false trade description" means a trade description which is false in a material respect as regards the goods to which it is applied, and includes every alteration ofa trade description, whether by way of addition, effacement or otherwise, where that alteration makes the description false in a material respect, and the fact that a trade description is a trade mark, or part of a trade mark, shall not prevent the trade description being a false trade description within the meaning of this Act;

"goods" means anything which is the subject of trade, manufacture or merchandise;

"name" includes any abbreviation of a name;

"persons," "manufacturer, dealer or trader," and "proprietor," include any body of persons corporate or unincorporate;

"trade description" means any description, statement, or other indica­ tion, direct or indirect ­

(a) as to the number, quantity, measure, gauge, orweightof any goods;

(b) as to the place orcountry in which any goods were made or produced;

(c) as to the mode of manufacturing or producing any goods;

(d) as to the material of which any goods are composed; or

(e) as to any goods being the subject of an existing patent, privilege, or copyright,

and the use ofany figure, word or mark which, according to the custom of the trade, is commonly taken to be an indication of

any of the above matters, shall be deemed to be a trade description within the meaning of this Act;

"trade mark" means a trade markregisteredinthe registeroftrade marks kept under the Trade Marks Act, and includes any trade mark Ch.78:42. which, either with or without registration, is protected by an Order under the said Act.

(2) The provisions of this Act respecting the application of a false trade description to goods shall extend to the application to the goods of any such figures, words or marks, or arrangement or combi­ nation thereofwhether including a trade mark ornot, as are reasonably calculated to lead persons to believe that the goods are the manufacture or merchandise of some person other than the person whose manufac­ ture or merchandise they really are.

(3) The provisions of this Act respecting the application of a false trade description to goods, or respecting goods to which a false trade description is applied, shall extend to the application to goods of any false name or initials ofa person, and to goods with the false name or initials of a person applied, in like manner as if the name or initials were a trade description, and, for the purpose of this enactment, the expression "false name or initials" means, as applied to any goods, any name or initials of a person which ­

(a) are not a trade mark, or part of a trade mark; and

(b) are identical with, ora colourable imitation of, the name or initials of a person carrying on business in connec­ tion with goods ofthe same description, and not having authorised the use of the name or initials; and

(c) are either those of a fictitious person or of some person not bonafide carrying on business in connection with the goods.

3. (I) Every person who - Offenc", " 10 trade marks and

(a) forges any trade mark; trade d",«ip­ tions.

(b) falsely applies to goods any trade mark, or any mark so nearly resembling a trade mark as to be calculated to deceive;

(c) makes any die, block, machine, or other instrument for the purpose of forging, or of being used for forging a trademark;

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(d) applies any false trade description to goods;

(e) disposes of, or has in his possession, any die, block, machine, orother instrument for the purpose of forging a trade mark; or

if) causes any ofthe things above in this sectionmentioned to be done,

is, subject to the provisions ofthis Act and unless he proves that he acted without intent to defraud, is guilty of an offence against this Act.

(2) Any person who sells, or exposes, or has in his possession for sale, or any purpose of trade or manufacture, any goods or things to which any forged trade mark or false trade description is applied, or to which any trade mark, or mark so nearly resembling a trade mark as to be calculated to deceive, is falsely applied, as the case may be, unless he proves­

(a) that having taken all reasonable precautions against committing an offence against this Act, he had, at the time of the commission of the alleged offence, no reason to suspect the genuineness of the trade mark, mark, or trade description; and

(b) that, on demand made by or on behalfofthe prosecutor, he gave all the information in his power with respect to the persons from who he obtained the goods or things; or

(c) that otherwise he had acted innocently,

is guilty of an offence.

(3) Every person guilty of an offence against this Act shall be liable ­

(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fme and to imprison­ ment for two years; and

(b) on summary conviction, to a fine of one thousand dollars and to imprisonment for four months, and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine of three thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months; and

(c) in any case, to forfeit to the State every chattel, article, instrument or thing by means of or in relation to which the offence has been committed.

(4) The Coun before whom any person is convicted under this section may order any forfeited anicles to be destroyed, or otherwise disposed of, as the Coun thinks fit.

(5) Any offence for which a person is, under this Act,liable to punishment on summary conviction may be prosecuted, and any anicles liable to be forfeited under this Act by a Magistrate may be forfeited, in the manner provided by the Magistrate's Code ofProce- Ch.4:2O. dure Act. A person charged with an offence under this section before a Magistrate sitting under pan IV of the said Act shall, on appearing before the Magistrate, and before the charge is gone into, be informed of his right to be tried on indictment and, if he requires, be so tried accordingly.

Forging trade4. A person shall be deemed to forge a trade mark who either- mark.

(a) without the assent ofthe proprietorofthe trade mark, makes that trade mark, or a mark so nearly resembling that trade mark, as to be calculated to deceive; or

(b) falsifies any genuine trade mark, whether by alteration, addition, effacement, or otherwise,

and any trade mark or mark so made or falsified is in this Act referred to as a forged trade mark; and in any prosecution for forging a trade mark, the burden ofproving the assent of the proprietor shall lie on the defendant.

5. (I) A person shall be deemed to apply a trade mark, ormark, or Applying mms trade description to goods, who _ and desenplIon.

(a) applies it to the goods themselves;

(b) applies it to any covering, label, reel, or other thing in or with which the goods are sold, or exposed or had in possession for any purpose of sale, trade or manufac­ ture;

(c) places, encloses, or annexes any goods which are sold, orexposed orhad in possession for any purpose ofsale, trade, or manufacture, in, with, or to any covering, label, reel, or other thing to which a trade mark or trade description has been applied; or

(d) uses a trade mark, or mark, or trade description in any mannercalculated to lead to the beliefthat the goods in

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Exemption of cenain persons employed in ordinary course of business.

connection with which it is used are designated or described by that trade mark, or mark, or trade descrip­ tion.

(2) The expression "covering" includes any stopper, cask, bottle, vessel, box, cover, capsule, case, frame or wrapper; and the expression "label" includes any band or ticket.

A trade mark, or mark, or trade deSCription, shall be deemed to be applied whether it is woven, impressed or otherwise worked into, or annexed or affixed to, the goods, or to any covering, label, reel or other thing.

(3) A person shall be deemed to falsely apply to goods a trade mark or mark, who, without the assent ofthe proprietor ofatrade mark, applies such trade mark, or a mark so nearly resembling it as to be calculatedto deceive; but in any prosecution for falsely applying atrade markormark to goods, theburden ofproving the assentofthe proprietor shall lie on the defendant.

6. Where a defendant is charged with making any die, block, machine orotherinstrumentfor the purpose offorging, orbeing used for forging a trade mark, or with falsely applying to goods any trade mark, or any mark so nearly resembling a trade mark as to be calculated to deceive, or with applying to goods any false trade description, or causing any of the things in this section mentioned to be done, and proves­

(a) that in the ordinary course of his business, he is employed, on behalfofother persons, to make dies, blocks, machines, or other instruments for making, or being used in making, trade marks, or, as the case may be, to apply marks or descriptions to goods, and that, in the case which is the subject of the charge, he was so employed by some person resident in the State, and was not interested in the goods by way of profit or commission dependent on the sale of the goods;

(b) that he took reasonable precautions against committing the offence charged;

(c) that he had, at the time of the commission of the alleged offence, no reason to suspect the genuineness of the trade mark, mark or trade description; and

(d) that he gave to the prosecutor all the infonnation in his powerwith respect to the persons on whose behalfthe trade mark. mark or description was applied.

he shall be discharged from the prosecution. but shall be liable to pay the costs incurred by the prosecutor. unless he has given due notice to him that he will rely on the above defence.

Application of7. Where a watch case has thereon any words or marks which Act to watches.

constitute, or are by common repute considered as constituting. a description of the country in which the watch was made, and the watch bears no description of the country where it was made, those words or marks shall primafacie be deemed to be a description of that country within the meaning of this Act, and the provisions of this Act with respect to goods to which a false trade description has been applied. and with respect to selling, or exposing, orhaving in possession, for sale or any purpose of trade or manufacture. goods with a false trade descrip­ tion. shall apply accordingly; and, for the purposes of this section, the expression "watch" means all that portion of a watch which is not the watchcase.

8. In any indictment, pleading, proceeding or document. in which Trad~ m"k, how any trade mark or forged trade mark is intended to bementioned, it shall ~~:~i~d m be sufficient, without further description and without any copy or facsimile, to state that trade mark orforged trade mark to be a trade mark or forged trade mark.

9. In any prosecution for an offence against this Act. evidence of R~les as to the port ofshipment shall. in the case ofimported goods, beprimafacie eVIdence. evidence of the place or country in which the goods were made or produced.

10. Any person who. being within the State, procures, counsels, Punishment of aids, abets oris accessory to the commission, without the State, of any accessory. act. which, if committed in the State would under this Act be a misdemeanour, shall be guilty ofthat misdemeanour as a principal. and be liable to be indicted. proceeded against, tried and convicted as if the misdemeanour had been committed in the State.

11. (I) Where, upon infonnation of an offence against this Act, a Search w~rrant Magistratehas issuedeithera summons requiringthedefendantcharged and forle"ure. by the infonnation to appear to answer to the same, or a warrant for the

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Costs of defence or prosecution.

Limitation of prosecution.

arrest ofthe defendant, and either the said Magistrate, onorafter issuing the summons or warrant, or any other Magistrate, is satisfied by information on oath that there is reasonable cause to suspect that any goods or things, by means ofor in relation to which the offence has been committed, are in any house or premises of the defendant, or otherwise inhis possession orunderhis control in any place, such Magistrate may issue a warrant under his hand, by virtue ofwhich it shall be lawful for any constable named or referred to in the warrant to enter the house, premises or place at any reasonable time by day, and to search there for and seize and take away those goods or things; and any goods or things seized under any such warrant shall be brought before aMagistrate for thepurpose ofitsbeingdeterminedwhetherthe same are orare notliable to forfeiture under this Act.

(2) If the owner of any goods or things which, if the owner thereofhad been convicted, would be liable to forfeiture under this Act, is unknown orcannotbe found, an information orcomplaintmay be laid for the purpose only of enforcing the forfeiture, and a Magistrate may cause notice to be advertised, stating that, unless cause is shown to the contrary at the time and place named in the notice, the goods or things will be forfeited, and, at such time and place, the Magistrate, unless the owneroranypersononhisbehalf, orotherpersoninterestedinthegoods or things, shows cause to the contrary, may order the goods or things or any of them to be forfeited.

(3) Any goods or things forfeited under this section, or under any otherprovisionofthis Act, may be destroyed, orotherwisedisposed of, in such manner as the Coun by which the same are forfeited may direct, and the Coun may, out ofany proceeds whichmay be realised by thedispositionofthegoods (all trademarks and trade deSCriptionsbeing first obliterated), award to any innocent pany any loss he may have innocently sustained in dealing with the goods.

12. On any prosecution under this Act the Coun may order costs to be paid to the defendant by the prosecutor, or to the prosecutor by the defendant, having regard to the information given by, and the conduct of, the defendant and prosecutor respectively.

13. No prosecution for an offence against this Act shall be com­ menced after the expiration of three years next after the commission of the offence, or one year next after discovery thereofby the prosecutor, whichever expiration first happens.

14. (1) All goods which, ifsold, would be liable to forfeiture under Prohibiti~ on this Act, and also all goods offoreign manufacture bearing any name or unponauon. trade malk being, or purporting to be, the name or trade malk of any manufacturer, dealer, or trader in the United Kingdom, or the State, or any Commonwealth territory, unless the name or trade malk is accom­ panied by a definite indication of the country in which the goods were made or produced, are hereby prohibited to be imported into the State, and, subject to the provisions of this section, shall be included among the goods prohibited to be imported, as if they were so specified in the customslaws in force in the State; and ifany suchgoods as aforesaid are imported or brought into the State, such goods shall be forfeited, and may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of as the Minister may direct.

(2) Before detaining any such goods, or taking any further proceedings with a view to the forfeiture thereof under the law relating to the customs, the Minister may require the regulations under this section, whetheras toinformation, security, conditions orothermatters, to be complied with, and may satisfy himself in accordance with those regulations that the goods are such as are prohibited by this section to be imported.

(3) The Ministermay from time to time make, revoke, and vary Regulations, either general or special, respecting the detention or forfeiture of goods the importation of which is prohibited by this section, and the conditions, if any, to be fulfilled before the detention and forfeiture; and may, by such Regulations, determine the informa­ tion,notices, andsecurity to begiven, and the evidence requisite for any of the purposes of this section, and the mode of verification of the evidence.

(4) Where there is on any goods aname which is identical with, ora colourable imitationof, the name ofa place in the United Kingdom, or the State, or any Commonwealth territory, that name, unless accom­ panied with the name ofthe country in which the place is situated, shall be treated, for the purposes of this section, as if it were the name of a place in the United Kingdom, or the State, or such Commonwealth territory, respectively.

(5) The Regulations may apply to all goods the importation of which is prohibited by this section, or different Regulations may be made respecting different classes of such goods, or of offences in relation to such goods.

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Implied warranty on sale of marked goods.

Provisions as to false description not to apply in certain cases.

Savings.

(6) TheRegulationsmayprovide for the informantreimbursing the Treasury all expenses and damages incurred in respect to any detention made on his information, and ofany proceedings consequent on such detention.

(7) This section shall have effect as if it were pan of the Customs Act for the time being in force.

15. On the sale, orin the contract for the sale, ofany goods to which the trade mark, or mark, or trade description has been applied, the vendorshall be deemed to warrant that the mark is agenuine trade mark, and not forged or falsely applied, or that the trade description is not a false trade description within the meaning of this Act, unless the contrary is expressed in some writing signed by or on behalf of the vendor, anddelivered, at the time ofthe sale or contract, to and accepted by the vendee.

16. Where, at the passing ofthis Act, a trade description is lawfully and generally applied to goods of aparticular class, or manufactured by a particular method, to indicate the particular class or method of manufacture ofthe goods, the provisions ofthis Act with respect to false trade descriptions shall not apply to the trade description when so applied: Provided that, where the trade description includes the name of a place or country, and is calculated to mislead as to the place or country where the goods to which it is applied were actually made or produced, and the goods are not actually made orproduced in thatplace or country, this section shall not apply, unless there is added to the trade description, immediately before or after the name of that place or country, in an equally conspicuous manner with that name, the name of theplace orcountryin which the goods were actually made orproduced, with a statement that they were made or produced there.

17. (1) This Act shall not exempt any person from any action, suit. or other proceeding which might. but for the provisions of this Act. be brought against him.

(2) Nothingin this Act shall entitle any personto refuse tomake acomplete discovery. or to answerany question or interrogatory in any action. but such discovery or answershall notbe admissible in evidence against such person in any prosecution for an offence against this Act.

(3) Nothing in this Act shall be consnued so as to render liable to any prosecutionorpunishment any seIVantofamaster resident in the State, whobonafide acts inobedience to the instructions ofsuchmaster, and, on demand made by or on behalf of the prosecutor, has given full information as to his master.

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