A legal perspective on product design, sale, and post-sale support: blueprints for engineers

Abstract:
In an era dominated by digital innovation, computer engineers are at the forefront of shaping the future through the design, production, and maintenance of cutting-edge products. This lecture aims to provide a broad, bird’s-eye overview of the key legal aspects that may impact an engineer's journey from product conception to post-sale support.

Part 1: Design and production
The session will commence with an overview of the legal framework surrounding product development, emphasizing the significance of compliance with intellectual property laws, industry standards, and regulations, spanning from the EU machine directive to Reg. 2023/1230 and other relevant EU laws.
Besides, the Internet of Things continues to weave into our daily lives, and engineers must grapple with privacy and data protection issues. The lecture aims to provide an impression of the legal obligations surrounding data collection, storage, and transmission, especially in IoT devices. Special attention will be given to far-reaching regulations such as GDPR and how they impact design choices made by engineers.

Part 2: From production to sales – from Verification and Testing to defects and warranties
Sales managers and developers should communicate effectively, as sales and purchase agreements should consider the technical specificities of high-tech products. Topics of this second part of the lecture will include product liability and liability for defective products, also in the light of consumer protection. Real-world examples and case studies will be discussed to illustrate the legal ramifications of overlooking these critical steps in the development process.

Part 3: After-Sales Support and Software Updates:
The legal journey does not end with the sale of a product. The lecture will conclude with a discussion on the legal aspects of after-sales support, including warranty obligations, software updates, system modification and certification issues, and potential related liabilities.

Conclusion:
In the very short time of the lecture, the session aims to give future computer engineers a few blueprints to approach their work with a heightened awareness of the legal landscape, hopefully fostering effective communication between STEM experts, legal professionals, and other parties involved in the product lifecycle.

Speaker bio: dott.ssa Lucrezia Bolla