Vessel Hull Design Protection Act

Title V of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, known as the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, provides sui generis protection for the original design of a useful article, limited in scope to boat hulls. The Act was enacted to fill a gap in federal law and to replace state legislation that had been invalidated by the Supreme Court in Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc. The statute is codified in Chapter 13 of Title 17 of the United States Code.

[Last reviewed in September of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team] 

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