Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2021-10-26
R0811/2021-3
Contested design: 006588778-0001
Outcome
The contested decision is annulled, the contested Community design is declared invalid, and the design holders are ordered to bear the invalidity applicant’s costs in both instances.
Show verbatim operative text
1. Annuls the contested decision; 2. Declares the Community design No 6588778-0001 invalid; 3. Orders the design holders to bear the costs and fees incurred by the invalidity applicant in the invalidity and appeal proceedings.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
PhiAcademy GmbHvia PDF extraction
Austria (AT)
Gartengasse 8/8, 1050 Vienna, Austria
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Margus Mytsvia PDF extraction
Finland (FI)
Hiilimäentie 26, 29630 Pori, Pomarkku, Finland
Prior art cited (1)
Phinjection needle-free pen / applicator for subcutaneous implants
Instagram and Facebook posts · disclosed 2019-02-27
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The invalidity applicant argued that it had publicly offered an identical Phinjection needle-free applicator through social-media posts, training advertisements, invoices and a brochure before the filing date of the contested RCD.
- ›The design holders contested the sufficiency of the disclosure evidence and argued that any differences, including a blue button and decorative element, preserved novelty and individual character.
- ›The Board admitted the additional appeal-stage evidence, found that the Instagram and Facebook posts proved prior disclosure, and held that the extra blue button and figurative element were insufficient to change the overall impression.
- ›The prior design destroyed the individual character of the contested RCD, so the contested decision was annulled and the RCD declared invalid.
Deciding panel
- ChairG. Humphreys
- RapporteurS. Rizzo
- MemberA. Szanyi Felkl
- RegistrarR. Vidal
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| deDeutsch (de) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| 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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