EU agreement: Spare parts for defective products to become cheaper
Consumers in the EU are to have better and cheaper access to replacement parts for defective products in future. To this end, they are to be exempt from so-called design protection, as announced by the EU Member States' representatives following negotiations with the EU Parliament. The potential savings for consumers are estimated at between 340 and 544 million euros over a period of ten years.
According to the information provided, spare parts for cars, for example, are affected by the planned new regulation. However, these may only be designed for repair purposes and must look exactly like the original part. A damaged door or a broken light were cited as examples in the announcement.
The initiative is part of a new design protection package that is also intended to improve the legal protection of intellectual property against counterfeiting. It was proposed by the EU Commission in November 2022. The agreement now reached between the representatives of the Parliament and those of the Member States still has to be approved by the plenary of the Parliament and the Council of the Member States. However, this is considered a formality.
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The EU agreement will exempt consumers from design protection for spare parts, potentially reducing costs by up to 544 million euros over a decade. This change applies specifically to Products like cars, where spare parts can be designed solely for repair purposes and must resemble the original part, like a damaged door or broken light. This development is part of a broader package aimed at enhancing intellectual property protection against counterfeiting, proposed by the EU Commission in November 2022.
Source: www.ntv.de
