Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2020-01-20
R0865/2017-3
Contested design: 002588350-0007
Outcome
The appeal is dismissed; the contested RCD is invalid as its features are solely dictated by technical function under Article 8(1) CDR; the design holder is ordered to pay EUR 1,250 in costs to the invalidity applicant.
Show verbatim operative text
1. Dismisses the appeal; 2. Orders the design holder to bear the costs incurred by the invalidity applicant in the invalidity and appeal proceedings; 3. Fixes the costs to be paid by the design holder to the invalidity applicant for the invalidity and the appeal proceedings at EUR 1,250.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €1,250
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
SATA GmbH & Co. KGvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Domertalstr. 20, 70806 Kornwestheim, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
ANEST IWATA Corporationvia PDF extraction
Japan (JP)
3176, Shinyoshida-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Represented by
Prior art cited (5)
Low-pressure atomizing spray gun (paint nozzle)
EP 1 108 476 A1 · EPO · disclosed 2001-06-20
Spray gun
EP 2 692 449 A1 · EPO · disclosed 2014-02-05
Spray gun
EP 2 695 678 A1 · EPO · disclosed 2014-02-12
Spray gun (figures identical to D3)
EP 2 703 089 A1 · EPO · disclosed 2014-03-05
'INNOVATIONS' brochure by ANEST IWATA USA, Inc., showing nozzle images
ANEST IWATA USA, Inc. · disclosed 2008-01-01
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The design holder (ANEST IWATA) appealed, arguing that cleaning of the spray gun (requiring cap removal) is normal use so the full nozzle tip is visible; that the RCD's features (V-grooves, guide walls) are not solely dictated by technical function because alternative designs with different groove numbers exist; and that the contested decision incorrectly assessed the overall impression of the spray gun rather than the nozzle tip alone.
- ›The invalidity applicant (SATA) responded that removing the air cap is maintenance, not normal use; that the patent applications the design holder itself filed explain the technical function of every feature (grooves, guides, conical shape, circular opening); and that following DOCERAM, each feature is solely technically dictated.
- ›The Board, applying the DOCERAM judgment, found that all features of the paint nozzle tip (air grooves, guide walls, circular opening, conical shape) are exclusively dictated by the technical function of atomising paint, as evidenced by the design holder's own patent applications; the design holder failed to demonstrate any aesthetic considerations in the choice of features.
- ›The appeal was dismissed and invalidity confirmed under Article 25(1)(b) in conjunction with Article 8(1) CDR, on grounds different from those of the first-instance decision.
Deciding panel
- ChairTh. M. Margellos
- RapporteurE. Fink
- MemberH. Salmi
- 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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