A Look Back – The Last 12 Months In Intellectual Property

New legislation in 2021

Digital Single Market (DSM) Copyright Directive: On 12 November 2021 the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market) Regulations 2021 (the "DSM Regulations") were signed into Irish law. They became effective on the same date, implementing the DSM Copyright Directive in Ireland. The DSM Directive was designed to provide a framework for a more modern copyright legislation that will strengthen the rights and protections afforded to various categories of rights holders in the digital economy. Arthur Cox has published a number of articles on the DSM Directive, available in parts one, two, three, and four.

New IP Court Lists

The Irish Court system underwent a number of changes in 2021 to enhance procedures for intellectual property actions brought in this jurisdiction. The goal of these changes is to ensure that such disputes are dealt with as efficiently, expeditiously and as cost effectively as possible.