{"id":23793,"date":"2025-02-25T17:39:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ponsip.com\/?p=23793"},"modified":"2025-02-26T16:43:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T16:43:16","slug":"design-as-a-pillar-for-innovation-creativity-protection-and-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ponsip.com\/en\/ip-news\/news\/design-as-a-pillar-for-innovation-creativity-protection-and-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Design as a pillar for innovation: creativity, protection and the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Design not only defines the appearance of a product, but also shapes the user\u2019s experience and strengthens business competitiveness. The protection of design, the construction of a brand identity and the importance of registration as a key tool for differentiation were the focus of \u201cDesign:<\/strong> Creation, Strategy and Regulation<\/strong>\u201d, an event organised by PONS IP and UDIT, University of Design, Innovation and Technology, in collaboration with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, or SPTO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held on 20 February at the Fundaci\u00f3n PONS in Madrid, the event consisted of a round table discussion moderated by Luis Ignacio Vicente<\/strong>, Strategic Advisor of PONS IP. Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 de Concepci\u00f3n<\/strong>, Director of the Patents and Information Technology Department of the SPTO, Javier Sanz<\/strong>, President of DIMAD and Director of the Product Design and UX Department of UDIT, Santiago Ros<\/strong>, Director of the Legal Department of Mustang, Mar\u00eda Fernanda Pi\u00f1ero<\/strong>, Intellectual Property Manager of Mahou-San Miguel and David de Pablos<\/strong>, Industrial Designer and professor at UDIT, participated in the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulatory changes in the EU<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference began with a brief presentation on the new features introduced by the new regulatory framework for design protection promoted by the European Union. In this regard, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 de Concepci\u00f3n explained not only how this regulatory body seeks to modernise and harmonise current legislation, but also how it aims to make the registry of designs more accessible and efficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explained that the main new features include the simplification of the registration process, which allows owners to publicly indicate that their design is protected, and the elimination of the requirement to submit physical samples. In addition, it introduces the possibility for Member States to offer protection to unregistered designs, broadening the legal protection options for creators and companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another major reform is the strengthening of the fight against counterfeiting, with measures to prevent the circulation of unauthorised products in the EU and to give greater control to right holders over technologies such as 3D printing. Restrictions on multiple applications for registration are also removed, making it easier to protect several designs in a single procedure, and a new \u24b9 seal is created to inform consumers that the design is protected.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDesign protection is not only a legal issue, but a key tool to guarantee its continuity and profitability,\u201d said Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 de Concepci\u00f3n, who added that this new regulatory framework \u201cwill provide a competitive advantage and strengthen protection at the European level, encouraging more designers and companies to register their creations.\u201d At the same time, however, she stressed that each project is unique and that the decision to protect a design must be linked to its commercialisation and profitability: \u201cProtecting for the sake of protecting makes no sense if it is not used as a tool to gain visibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In turn, Luis Ignacio Vicente mentioned that \u201cthe new regulation is an opportunity to consolidate industrial design as a strategic pillar in Spain,\u201d adding that \u201cthe country is already a powerhouse in this field, ranking eighth in the world in terms of the number of registrations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design protection and artificial intelligence <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Javier Sanz, one of the great challenges for designers in the coming years will be to internalise the importance of registration as a natural part of the creative process. \u201cWhen designers assume that, in the final stages of their work, registering their design is key, they will be more protected, more valued and will capitalise economically on their ideas,\u201d he said. In addition, he mentioned that although there is growing awareness of design protection, there is still a certain lack of knowledge. \u201cBefore, many people did not know what to do to protect a patent or a design. Now there is this concern from the first year of training, but there is still a lot of work to be done,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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