EU Design Law: Preparing For A Digital Age

On 8 December 2024, the EU Design Reform package finally entered into force. Volha Parfenchyk explains what the changes mean for design owners in the EU.  

Design rights exist to protect the design of a product, especially shapes, colours or materials, from unauthorised use. As design and technology evolve, it is important that the law is kept up to date, including protecting designers' rights in new digital worlds.  

New legislation finally in force  

After almost 10 years in the making, the new EU design legislation was published in the EU Official Journal on 18 November 2024 and entered into force on 8 December 2024. It includes the following two legal acts:  

• The European Design Regulation (EUDR), the Amending Regulation on Community designs no. 2024/2822.  It will be applicable as of 1 May 2025, except for those articles that will be implemented via secondary legislation, which will be applicable from 1 July 2026.