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Contested design 000124912-0001

Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2020-04-14

R0568/2019-3

Contested design: 000124912-0001

CDRAppellant: holder

Outcome

Appeal dismissed

The appeal is dismissed.

Show verbatim operative text(de)

Die Beschwerde wird zurückgewiesen.

CostsNot specified

Parties

Applicant · invalidity challenger

Micromic S.r.l.via PDF extraction

Italy (IT)

Via Silvio Pellico 19/9°, 00040 Pomezia RM, Italien

Represented by

R&P LEGAL

Holder · RCD owner

Vorwerk Elektrowerke GmbH & Co. KGvia PDF extraction

Germany (DE)

Mühlenweg 17-37, 42270 Wuppertal, Deutschland

Legal grounds invoked

Article 25(1)(b)Article 4(2)Article 4(3)Article 8(1)Article 8(2)

Argument summary

  • The holder (Vorwerk) appealed the Invalidity Division's decision that the dust filter bag design was invalid as a non-visible component part of the complex product 'vacuum cleaner' under Article 4(2)(a) CDR; it argued the bag is an accessory, not a component part, and is visible during bag-changing which falls within intended use.
  • The invalidity applicant (Micromic) responded that the bag is an essential component part, functionally indispensable, that its features are dictated solely by technical function under Articles 8(1) and (2) CDR, and that bag-changing constitutes maintenance excluded from 'intended use' under Article 4(3) CDR.
  • The Board agreed the dust bag is a component part of the complex product vacuum cleaner; the intended use of a vacuum cleaner is the act of cleaning, during which the bag is not visible as the cleaner remains closed; bag-changing is maintenance within Article 4(3) CDR.
  • The Board upheld the Invalidity Division and dismissed the appeal; the contested RCD does not satisfy Article 4(2)(a) CDR and is therefore invalid under Article 25(1)(b) CDR.

Deciding panel

  • ChairTh. M. Margellos
  • RapporteurA. Szanyi Felkl
  • MemberE. Fink
  • RegistrarH. Dijkema

Decision files

LanguageTypeSource link
enEnglish (en)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
frfrançais (fr)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
deGermanoriginalDownload original from EUIPO ↗

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