From October 24 to 26, 2024, AIJA held a seminar in Málaga, organized by the Intellectual Property, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (IPTMT) and Antitrust Commissions. The conference, under the theme “New technologies: Is IP/TMT and Antitrust law future proof?”, attracted lawyers and experts from around the world to discuss the future of these areas of law amid rapid technological advances.

One of the seminar’s highlights was the panel “Registered designs in transformation: When chairs suddenly move into the digital world,” moderated by Dr. Cristina Hernández-Martí Pérez, an intellectual property expert. The panel addressed the recent amendment to the Design Protection Directive and the Community Design Regulation, emphasizing the relevance of these legal updates in a context where physical designs, such as furniture, are finding new forms of protection in digital environments. Additionally, the introduction of the so-called “repair clause” was discussed. This new provision exempts spare parts used for the repair of complex products, such as automotive spare parts, from design protection.

The event provided a space for reflection on how recent regulatory changes will impact the protection of registered designs, especially in an increasingly digitally interconnected world. The panel featured speakers Giulia Beneduci, Anna-Carina Salger, Faye McConnell, and Matthew Homyk, who offered attendees an in-depth view of the implications of design digitalization in sectors traditionally tied to the physical domain, sparking a debate on the ability of current law to adapt to this transformation.