Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2020-05-28
R0904/2018-3
Contested design: 001435499-0003
Outcome
The contested decision is set aside, RCD No. 1435499-0003 is declared invalid, and the holder must bear the costs of the invalidity and appeal proceedings.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Die angefochtene Entscheidung wird aufgehoben; 2. Das eingetragene Gemeinschaftsgeschmacksmuster Nr. 1435499-0003 wird für nichtig erklärt. 3. Der Inhaber trägt die Kosten des Nichtigkeits- und des Beschwerde- verfahrens.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Küberit Profile Systems GmbH & Co. KGvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Römerweg 9, 58513 Lüdenscheid, Deutschland
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Georg Sondermannvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Biggeseestr. 20a, 57489 Drolshagen, Deutschland
Represented by
Prior art cited (2)
floor rails / floor transition strip
German design No. 40200327-0001 · German Patent and Trade Mark Office Designblatt · disclosed 2002-06-25
floor rails / floor transition strip
German design No. 40200327-0002 · German Patent and Trade Mark Office Designblatt · disclosed 2002-06-25
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The invalidity applicant argued that the contested floor-profile design lacked novelty and individual character, and that after installation only the visible top section matters; it also invoked older German designs D1 and D2.
- ›The holder argued that the profile's 'goblet' or 'Sondro-S' perforation shape and possible visible uses of the base profile gave the contested design a different overall impression.
- ›The Board refused to expand the case to newly introduced product lines, compared the contested RCD mainly with D1, and found the differences in perforation shape, hole placement, profile count and height too minor to affect the informed user's overall impression.
- ›Because D1 destroyed individual character, the Board set aside the first-instance rejection and declared the contested RCD invalid; the holder was ordered to pay costs.
Deciding panel
- ChairTh. M. Margellos
- RapporteurE. Fink
- MemberC. Rusconi
- RegistrarH. Dijkema
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R0905/2018-3 | 2020-10-29 | Decision annulled | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 7 |
| R0907/2018-3 | 2020-10-29 | Decision annulled | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 7 |
| R0906/2018-3 | 2020-05-28 | Decision annulled | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 7 |
| R0763/2019-3 | 2020-05-20 | Decision annulled | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 7 |
| R0914/2018-3 | 2020-10-29 | Decision confirmed | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 6 |
| R0912/2018-3 | 2020-10-29 | Decision confirmed | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 6 |
| R0913/2018-3 | 2020-10-29 | Decision confirmed | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 6 |
| R0911/2018-3 | 2020-05-28 | Decision confirmed | Art 25(1)(b), Art 4(2) | — | 6 |