Open architecture meaning

The major changes being introduced by the EU, specifically the EU design legislative reform package adopted by the Council of the EU on 10 October 2024 These measures comprise Directive (EU) 2024/2823 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on the legal protection of designs (recast), together with the amendment to Regulation (EU) 2024/2822 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024, which modifies Council Regulation (EC) 6/2002 on Community designs and repeals Commission Regulation (EC) 2246/2002. The package is poised to open fresh opportunities and prompt new considerations for almost all businesses active in the EU or interacting with its markets. This Law360 analysis highlights the principal updates and their practical implications for companies, setting out workable ideas on how to plan strategically for the transition. A further feature of the reform is the updating of certain core terminology to reflect the architecture and reach of the refreshed legal framework. By way of illustration, the term ‘community design’ will...

In this issue: International Arbitration Other arbitration and ADR-related news and developments Useful Information LexTalk®Arbitration: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts International Arbitration India—arbitral award vitiated at its root by misreading/misunderstanding of the basic contractual framework The dispute in Trans Engineers India v Otsuka Chemicals centred on a tribunal issuing a ‘nil’ award on rival claims and counterclaims arising from a plant expansion at a Rajasthan project site. The bid to set aside the award succeeded, with the court emphasising that neglecting to grasp the parties’ foundational contractual framework leaves an award open to attack. The ruling underlines that arbitrators must first appreciate the parties’ relationship and contractual architecture before turning to the substance of the case. Drawing on five Supreme Court of India authorities, including the recent DMRC Ltd v Delhi Airport Metro Express, the judge reaffirmed that court intervention is justified where the tribunal’s contractual interpretation is unreasonable and disregards the contract’s specific terms...

Financial services developments FCA publishes outcome report from Open Finance Sprint 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled a new webpage alongside the outcomes report from its Open Finance Sprint 2025. Over two days, specialists convened to examine the core building blocks required for open finance and data-led financial services. The outcomes report collates and distils the materials created by sprint attendees. It presents a common view of how an open finance ecosystem might evolve over time, anchored in trustworthy data usage, explicit consent, resilient technology and wide participation. According to the FCA, the document captures participant contributions rather than its own policy stance. Attendees depicted an open finance landscape that is more open, safer and more personalised, with offerings tailored to the needs of consumers and firms. They highlighted the importance of robust data rights, transparent consent, and an ecosystem able to facilitate secure data-sharing across a range of sectors. The FCA also signalled plans to deepen work on the technology and infrastructure layers of open...

This Practice Note looks at product liability in the life sciences sector It centres on the strict liability framework in Directive 85/374/EEC (the Product Liability Directive (PLD)), its update by Directive (EU) 2024/2853 taking effect from December 2026, and the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (CPA 1987), and explores how these interact with the pharmaceutical and medical devices regulatory regimes. The proposed EU AI Liability Directive (AILD) and its implications are addressed. The Note outlines the statutory elements for establishing liability for defective products, the statutory defences available, and the forms of redress open to an injured party. It further examines responsibility arising from off‑label use of medicines and medical devices, and liability issues in the context of clinical trials. The UK’s product liability architecture predominantly originates in EU law. Numerous EU-derived principles and obligations have been carried over into UK domestic law, unless particular provisions state otherwise. Accordingly, the EU and UK positions are treated side by side: points on EU legal requirements should generally be read as applicable...

This Tracker reviews significant legislative changes, consultations and other developments of note for Dispute Resolution (DR) practitioners, where matters are no longer live yet remain useful for historical reference. It spans alternative dispute resolution (ADR), Brexit, debt management, civil procedure, consumer contracts, enforcement and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). For live updates, see Practice Note: Tracker—legislation, consultations and other developments—Dispute Resolution. For lawtech tracking, see Practice Note: Tracker—cryptoassets for Dispute Resolution lawyers. ADR Consultation Civil Justice Council (CJC) Interim Report on the future role of ADR in Civil Justice Key dates: October 2017–15 December 2017 Details: In January 2016, the CJC decided to convene a Working Group to examine how ADR (excluding arbitration) had been promoted and embedded within the civil justice architecture in England and Wales. The Working Group’s interim findings were released in October 2017. The CJC contended that ADR had not secured the central role in the civil justice system that had been anticipated at the time of the 1999 Woolf reforms. However,...