Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2019-09-13
R1573/2018-3
Contested design: 001723677-0001
Outcome
The appeal is dismissed and the design holder is ordered to bear the invalidity applicant's costs in the appeal proceedings.
Show verbatim operative text
1. Dismisses the appeal; 2. Orders that the design holder bear the costs of the invalidity applicant in the appeal proceedings.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Inter-Vion S.A.via PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
Ostrobramska 91, 04-118 Warszawa, Poland
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
JMS SPORTS Sp. z o.o.via PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
Piramowicza 11/13, 90-254 Łódź, Poland
Represented by
Aleksandra Młoczkowska
Prior art cited (4)
Fancy Fane spiral-shaped hair-band
http://faneaccessories.blogspot.fr/2009/11 · faneaccessories.blogspot.fr · disclosed 2009-11-29
SwirliDo spiral-shaped hair-band
http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2009/11 · nouveaucheap.blogspot.com · disclosed 2009-11-01
makeupstash spiral-shaped hair-band
http://makeupstash.com/2009/phone-cord-hair-grips · makeupstash.com · disclosed 2009-10-07
Fabulous Telephone hair-band in promotional leaflet 'Best selling products in 2008' by R&L Int'l (China) Ltd.
R&L Int'l (China) Ltd. · disclosed 2008-01-01
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The design holder (appellant) argued that the evidence of prior disclosure of the 'SwirliDo' and other hair-band designs on internet blogs was unreliable and manipulated, and that the Wayback Machine showed later posting dates than claimed.
- ›The invalidity applicant argued the blog evidence was genuine, supported by additional corroborating evidence including Google search results and other posts from the same blogs in 2009.
- ›The Board found that the abstract possibility of blog manipulation is insufficient to undermine credibility; concrete indicia of falsification are required, and none were provided; the same design appearing on two unrelated blogs in November 2009 supported genuine disclosure.
- ›The Board confirmed the contested RCD lacked novelty over the 'SwirliDo' design disclosed on Nouveau Cheap blog, the designs being virtually identical in shape, material, colour and number of loops.
Deciding panel
- ChairTh. M. Margellos
- RapporteurC. Rusconi
- MemberG. Humphreys
- RegistrarH. Dijkema
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 ↗ |
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