The bill expands the definition of an industrial design to include motion, transitions, and other forms of animation. In addition, rights holders will be able to prohibit the creation, downloading, or distribution of media or software that allows a design to be reproduced in digital form for the subsequent manufacture of products.
The registration procedure will be simplified by eliminating the opposition process, limiting the examination to absolute grounds for refusal, and shortening a number of procedural deadlines.
The bill also includes a provision on repairs: individual parts of complex products used exclusively to restore their original appearance will not be protected as industrial designs.
The new law is scheduled to take effect on December 9, 2027, with the exception of certain provisions, the application of which will be contingent upon the entry into force of the Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.
