Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2020-10-29
R0905/2018-3
Contested design: 001435499-0004
Outcome
The contested decision is set aside, RCD No. 1435499-0004 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. 1435499-0004 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 over earlier German designs D1 and D2, and that after installation only the visible upper section matters materially.
- ›The holder argued that the goblet-shaped perforations, profile proportions, and possible visible uses of the base profile created a different overall impression.
- ›The Board limited the appeal to the prior designs pleaded in the invalidity request and found the differences in perforation shape, hole placement, profile count, and height too minor to distinguish the contested design from D2 for the informed user.
- ›The first-instance rejection was annulled and the contested RCD was declared invalid; the holder was ordered to bear costs.
Deciding panel
- ChairTh. M. Margellos
- RapporteurE. Fink
- MemberA. Szanyi Felkl
- Registrarp.o. R. Vidal
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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