EU 디자인법 전면 개정(Design Reform)에 관한 소고 – 디자인 보호 대상의 확대를 중심으로 –

This paper examines the recent developments, legal foundations, and interpretive implications of the European Union’s 2025 Design Regulation Reform, with particular emphasis on the protection of digital designs. A central feature of the EU’s legislative overhaul is the revision of the definitions of ‘design’ and ‘product’ to explicitly include emerging non-physical forms—such as animations and other digitally rendered designs—driven by advances in information and communication technologies. These revised definitions broaden the scope of protection to encompass digital designs that lack a tangible or physical manifestation. This article proposes that, to safeguard design creators and foster the healthy development of related industries, the scope of protection under Korea’s Design Protection Act should first be explicitly expanded to encompass digital designs. Second, additional safeguards must be implemented to address potential conflicts or overlaps with Copyright Act arising from this expanded protection scope.