The proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/71/EC on the legal protection of designs
Reference: 2005-002
Launch date: 25 February 2005
Closing date: 31 May 2005
The consultation seeks views on the proposal to amend existing EC design protection legislation (Directive 98/71/EC), which harmonised most aspects of registered design protection across Europe. Design in this context means the visible appearance of an object, not its technical features. The proposal concerns design protection of spare parts intended to restore the appearance of complex products (products which are composed of multiple components). The proposal seeks to liberalise the market in visible spare parts (the "aftermarket").
The consultation is directed to anyone in the UK or abroad who is interested in the operation of the intellectual property system in the UK but especially from those who have been, are, or expect to be users of or affected by the registered designs system.
- Consultation document - Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/71/EC on the legal protection of designs
(139Kb) - Response document - Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/71/EC on the legal protection of designs (126Kb)