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Applied art can get copyright if it shows creator’s personality, EU court opinion says

( May 8, 2025, 10:15 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: In a copyright dispute involving furniture makers in Sweden and Germany, an opinion for the EU Court of Justice said that designs like tables and modular furniture can be protected by copyright, but only if they reflect the author's personal, creative choices. In his non-binding opinion, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar rejected the idea that applied art needs stricter originality standards than other works. Szpunar said that copyright infringement should be established by identifying recognizable creative elements rather than relying solely on overall visual similarity. The opinion is attached. The cases references are C-580/23 and C-795/23. ...

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