Legal Regulation of Digital Twin A Comparative Study

Abstract

The digital twin is one of the most prominent modern technologies produced by the digital revolution. It is based on creating an interactive digital version that simulates a physical entity or a real system in real time by relying on data flowing from sensors, artificial intelligence technologies and the Internet of Things. This technology has contributed to bringing about a qualitative transformation in many industrial and commercial sectors by enabling users to monitor performance, analyze data, predict malfunctions and make decisions with greater efficiency, which has given it increasing economic and commercial importance. However, this technological development has raised many legal issues related to determining the legal nature of the digital twin and the extent to which it is subject to the traditional legal systems regulating intellectual property. The study is based on explaining the concept of the digital twin, its characteristics and components, while clarifying the differences between it and traditional industrial models and other digital models. It has been shown that the digital twin is not limited to a mere formal representation of the product, but rather includes advanced technical functions based on simulation, analysis and continuous interaction with the physical original. The study also discussed the jurisprudential and legal trends related to its legal classification and the extent to which it can be considered an industrial model or a patent. The study also showed that the digital twin raises new legal challenges related to the protection of intellectual property, data, and liability arising from the use of smart systems, as well as the inadequacy of current legislation to accommodate this technology and the need to develop an integrated legal framework that keeps pace with modern technological developments and ensures the protection of the digital twin as a digital innovation of a special nature, in order to achieve a balance between encouraging innovation and protecting the legal and economic rights associated with it.