Designs

This subtopic provides an overview of design rights under EU.

The World Intellectual Property Office defines intellectual property (IP) as ‘creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; design; and symbols, names and images used in commerce’. Broadly, the aim of IP law is to cultivate an environment in which creativity and invention can flourish. Protection of IP rights means those that invest time and resource in creating and developing IP can reap benefit from their investment. By registering (where necessary), maintaining and enforcing IP rights, a rights holder can prevent people stealing or copying valuable assets.

The four most common IP rights are:

  1. copyright, databases and associated rights

  2. designs

  3. patents, and

  4. trade marks

This subtopic focuses on design rights. Design rights protect the shape, configuration or appearance of the whole or part of a product or article. A design may comprise three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article or two-dimensional features such as surface decoration, patterns or colour. To qualify for protection, a design

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Latest EU Law News

EU adopts regulation streamlining financial services reporting requirements

The European Parliament and Council have adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/… of 8 October 2025 amending Regulations (EU) No 1092/2010, (EU) No 1093/2010, (EU) No 1094/2010, (EU) No 1095/2010, (EU) No 806/2014, (EU) 2021/523 and (EU) 2024/1620 regarding reporting requirements in financial services and investment support (otherwise known as the Better Data Sharing Regulation). The regulation introduces new information sharing obligations between EU financial authorities including the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), Single Resolution Board (SRB), European Central Bank (ECB) and the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA), implementing a 'report once' principle whereby authorities must request information from other authorities rather than directly from financial institutions where possible. The regulation requires European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) to prepare a feasibility study for a cross-sectoral integrated reporting system within 60 months, establish a permanent single contact point for reporting duplicative requirements, and grants authorities discretionary powers to share anonymised information with researchers for innovation purposes. The regulation also changes InvestEU Programme reporting frequency from biannual to annual and mandates authorities to review and propose removal of redundant reporting requirements within 24 months.

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