[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6531 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.6531

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and eight


                                 An Act


 
  To amend chapter 13 of title 17, United States Code (relating to the 
vessel hull design protection), to clarify the definitions of a hull and 
                                 a deck.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. VESSEL HULL DESIGN PROTECTION.
    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Vessel Hull Design 
Protection Amendments of 2008''.
    (b) Designs Protected.--Section 1301(a) of title 17, United States 
Code, is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
        ``(2) Vessel features.--The design of a vessel hull, deck, or 
    combination of a hull and deck, including a plug or mold, is 
    subject to protection under this chapter, notwithstanding section 
    1302(4).''.
    (c) Exceptions.--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 registered 
    design under this chapter, including the right to build to such 
    registered design, shall be determined solely by operation of 
    section 2320 of title 10 or by the instrument under which the 
    design was developed for the United States Government.''.
    (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 exterior frame or body of a vessel, 
    exclusive of the deck, superstructure, masts, sails, yards, 
    rigging, hardware, fixtures, and other attachments.''; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following:
        ``(7) A `deck' is the horizontal surface of a vessel that 
    covers the hull, including exterior cabin and cockpit surfaces, and 
    exclusive of masts, sails, yards, rigging, hardware, fixtures, and 
    other attachments.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.