Industrial Research and Standards Act, 1946

Standard marks.

22.—(1) The Minister may by order prescribe a mark for use, in accordance with this Act, in connection with a specified commodity, process or practice, to indicate that it conforms to a particular standard specification.

(2) A standard mark shall include the words “Caighdeán Éireannach” or the initials “C.É.” and may include the words “Irish Standard” or the initials “I.S.” or any other mark.

(3) The Minister may revoke an order made by him under this section.

(4) Whenever an order prescribing a standard mark for use in connection with a commodity, process or practice conforming to a particular standard specification is for the time being in force, the following provisions shall have effect:—

(a) the Minister shall be the proprietor of the standard mark,

(b) for the purpose of the Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887 to 1931, the standard mark shall be a trade mark;

(c) the use of the standard mark in connection with a commodity, process or practice which does not conform to that standard specification shall be a false trade description within the meaning of those Acts;

(d) those Acts shall apply accordingly.

(5) The Minister may grant to a person a licence to use, subject to such conditions as may be expressed in the licence, a standard mark in connection with any commodity, process or practice for which there is a standard specification.

(6) Where the Minister has, with the consent of any other Minister of State, declared a specification to be a standard specification for a commodity, process or practice, he shall not grant a licence under this section to use a standard mark in connection with that commodity, process or practice except with the consent of that Minister of State.

(7) The Minister may revoke a licence under this section but, if the licence was granted with the consent of any other Minister of State, only with the consent of that Minister of State.

(8) A person who—

(a) uses a standard mark otherwise than in accordance with a licence under this section, or

(b) makes any representation or uses any mark in connection with any commodity, process or practice which suggests or is likely to suggest that a person who is not licensed to use a standard mark in connection with that commodity, process or practice is so licensed or is entitled to use a standard mark,

shall, unless he proves that he acted without intent to defraud, be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to both such imprisonment and fine.

(9) The word “representation” in subsection (8) of this section has the same meaning as it has in section 21 of this Act.