Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000

Chapter 15

Provision for Preventing Importation

Infringing copies, articles or devices may be treated as prohibited goods.

147.—(1) The owner of the copyright in a work may give notice in writing to the Revenue Commissioners—

(a) that he or she is the owner of the copyright in the work, and

(b) that he or she requests the Revenue Commissioners for a period specified in the notice to treat as prohibited goods—

(i) copies of the work which are infringing copies,

(ii) articles specifically designed or adapted or used for making infringing copies of the work, or

(iii) protection-defeating devices.

(2) The period specified in a notice given under subsection (1) shall not exceed 5 years and in any case shall not extend beyond the period for which copyright is to subsist.

(3) The owner of the copyright in a work may give notice in writing to the Revenue Commissioners—

(a) that he or she is the owner of the copyright in the work,

(b) that infringing copies, articles or devices referred to in subsection (1)(b) are expected to arrive in the State at a time and a place specified in the notice, and

(c) that he or she requests the Revenue Commissioners to treat those copies, articles or devices as prohibited goods.

(4) When a notice given under subsection (1) is in force the importation of goods to which the notice relates, other than copies of a work imported by a person for his or her private and domestic use, is prohibited.

(5) Notwithstanding subsection (4) or anything contained in the Customs Acts, a person is not, by reason of the prohibition, liable to any penalty under the Customs Acts other than forfeiture of the prohibited goods.

(6) In this section “prohibited goods” means counterfeit or pirated goods within the meaning of the European Communities (Counterfeit and Pirated Goods) Regulations, 1996 ( S.I. No. 48 of 1996 ).