Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2019-04-10
R0031/2018-3
Contested design: 001664368-0006
Outcome
The Board annuls the first-instance decision, declares the contested RCD (Lego building block) invalid because all its features of appearance are solely dictated by technical function, and orders the design holder to pay the invalidity applicant's costs totalling EUR 2 050.
Show verbatim operative text
1. Annuls the contested decision; 2. Declares the invalidity of the contested RCD; 3. Orders that the design holder reimburses the fees and costs incurred by the invalidity applicant; 4. Fixes the amount of fees and costs to be paid by the design holder to the invalidity applicant with respect to the invalidity proceedings and appeal proceedings at EUR 2 050.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €2,050
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Delta Sport Handelskontor GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Wragekamp 6, 22397 Hamburg, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Lego A/Svia PDF extraction
Denmark (DK)
Aastvej 1, 7190 Billund, Denmark
Represented by
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Invalidity applicant (appellant) argued that all features of appearance of the contested toy building block RCD (stud row, underside depressions and circular walls, rectangular shape, wall thickness, cylindrical stud shape) are solely dictated by the technical function of interconnecting toy bricks, relying on the DOCERAM test and findings from the Red Lego Brick trade mark proceedings.
- ›Design holder argued that multiple design alternatives exist, showing technical function was not the sole factor; it also invoked Article 8(3) CDR (modular system exception) and opposed appointment of an expert.
- ›The Board, applying DOCERAM (C-395/16), identified the product's technical function as stable assembly/disassembly capability; systematically found each feature (studs, underside depressions, circular walls, rectangular shape, wall thickness, cylindrical stud shape) serves only that function, as confirmed by expert findings in the Red Lego Brick EUTM proceedings; Article 8(3) was inapplicable since the exception covers interoperability features, not all appearance features.
- ›The Board declared the RCD invalid under Article 25(1)(b) in conjunction with Article 8(1) CDR and fixed costs at EUR 2 050.
Deciding panel
- ChairTh. M. Margellos
- RapporteurC. Rusconi
- MemberH. Salmi
- RegistrarI. Romero Conrad
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| esespañol (es) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| frfrançais (fr) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| ititaliano (it) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| enEnglish | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
Similar decisions
Ranked by shared Locarno class + shared legal grounds + matching outcome. Click a case to view full detail.
| Case | Date | Outcome | Shared grounds | Locarno | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R0420/2023-3 | 2024-09-02 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R1072/2020-3 | 2023-09-06 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R1070/2020-3 | 2023-09-06 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R2414/2018-3 | 2023-03-01 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R1866/2021-3 | 2022-09-16 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R1072/2020-3 | 2021-07-14 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R1070/2020-3 | 2021-07-05 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |
| R2413/2018-3 | 2020-05-15 | Decision annulled | Art 8(1) | — | 5 |