《版权、外观设计和专利法案》的基础可以在《1977年威特福得报告》、继其后的三份《绿皮书》及《1986年白皮书》、《知识产权与改革》中找到,虽然议案最初主要是以《白皮书》为基础的,但在议会通过该议案的漫长过程中却做了很大改动。在介绍议案时,议会声明其目的是:在更合逻辑、前后更一致的基础上重建法律;使法律现代化以适应最新的技术进步 Foundations of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act can be found in the 1977 Wertford Report, the ensuing three Green Paper and White Paper 1986, Intellectual Property and Reform, Although the motion was originally based mainly on the “White Paper,” a great deal of changes were made in the protracted process of passing the motion. In introducing the motion, the parliamentary statement states that its purpose is to rebuild the law on the basis of a more logical and consistent approach, to modernize the law in keeping with the latest technological advances