The International Comparative Legal Guide – Designs 2026 examines the design laws across multiple jurisdictions, from initial application through to enforcement. International Co-Head of our Product Designs Group, Ewan Grist, serves as contributing editor.
Expert Analysis: EU Design Law Reform: A New Era for Digital Age Protection
Our expert analysis, authored by Dr Jan Bärenfänger (Counsel, Düsseldorf) and Catharina Krahan (Associate, Düsseldorf), analyses the most significant modernisation of European design law since 2002, examining the new Union Design Regulation 2024/2822 and Design Directive 2024/2823.
Key topics include:
- Expanded protection for digital designs, animations and virtual products
- The new repair clause and its impact on the spare parts market
- Enhanced enforcement provisions addressing 3D printing and AI-generated designs
- Procedural innovations including EUIPO as a central point of contact
- The relationship between design rights, copyright, trademarks and patents
- New limitations and the right of prior use across Member States
Read the full chapter here.
Bird & Bird's UK Chapter
Our UK contribution by Ewan Grist (Partner, London) and Louise Sargeant (Partner, London) provides a Q&A guide to UK design law, covering registration procedures, costs, enforcement strategies and recent case law.
Read the full chapter here.
These articles were first published in the ICLG – Designs 2026.
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