12 2 STA T .497 2 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 4 3 4 —O CT. 1 6, 200 8PublicLaw1 1 0–43 4 110 thCongres s A n Act Toamendch a pt e r13 o f t i t l e1 7,U nited S tate sC ode ( relatin g to the v essel h u ll design protection ) , to clarif y the definitions of a hull and a dec k.Beit e nac te dby t h e S enate and Hous eo fR e pr esentati v es of the U nited States of Am erica in C on g ress assemb l ed ,SECTION1.V ESSE LHU LL D ESI G N PR OTECTION. (a)SHORTTI T LE.— T hisActm a ybe cite d as the ‘ ‘ V esse lHu ll D esi gnPro tection Amendments o f20 0 8’ ’. (b) DE S I GN S PROTE C TE D .—Section 13 01(a) of title 1 7,U nited States C ode, is amended by stri k ing p aragraph (2) and inserting the follo w ing
‘‘(2) VESSEL F E A T U RES.—The design of a v essel hull, deck, or combination of a hull and deck, including a plug or mold, is sub j ect to protection under this chapter, notwithstanding section 1302( 4 ).’’. (c) EX CE P TIONS.—Section 1301(a) of title 17, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(3) EXCEPTIONS.—Department of Defense rights in a reg - istered design under this chapter, including the right to build to such registered design, shall be determined solely by oper- ation of section 2320 of title 10 or by the instrument under which the design was developed for the United States G overn- ment.’’. (d) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1301(b) of title 17, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘vessel hull, including a plug or mold,’’ and inserting ‘‘vessel hull or deck, including a plug or mold,’’
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: ‘‘(4) A ‘hull’ is the e x terior frame or body of a vessel, exclusive of the deck, superstructure, masts, sails, yards, rig- ging, hardware, fixtures, and other attachments.’’; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(7) A ‘deck’ is the hori z ontal surface of a vessel that covers the hull, including exterior cabin and cockpit surfaces, 17USC 1 0 1 note.V e s se lHu ll D es ig n Pr ote c tion Am en d ments o f2 00 8 . O ct. 1 6, 2008 [ H. R .6 53 1 ]
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