Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2020-10-29
R0907/2018-3
Contested design: 001435499-0008
Outcome
The contested decision is set aside, RCD No. 1435499-0008 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. 1435499-0008 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 only the visible upper profile is decisive after installation.
- ›The holder argued that the profile curvature, perforation details, and possible visibility of the base profile generated a different overall impression.
- ›The Board excluded additional prior designs introduced only on appeal and found that the remaining differences between the contested design and D2 were technically driven or too slight to affect the informed user’s overall impression.
- ›The appeal succeeded; the first-instance decision was annulled, the contested RCD was declared invalid, and 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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