Council Gives Its Final Approval to the Designs Protection Package

On 10 October, the Council of the European Union adopted legislative acts under the design package: the revised directive on the legal protection of designs and the amended regulation on community designs. The adopted texts update the current design legislation to improve the protection of industrial designs in the era of digital designs and 3D printing. 

The newly adopted directive and regulation will streamline the process for registering designs at the EU level, making it more affordable and straightforward. Additionally, it will align procedures across European and national systems, enhancing harmonisation.

The directive and regulation also introduce a "repair clause," establishing new rules that exempt spare parts used in the repair of complex products, such as those in the car-repair sector, from design protection. Additionally, a harmonised transitional period will be implemented, allowing existing designs of component parts to remain protected during the transition from the current legal framework to the newly adopted legislation.