Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2022-11-14
R0678/2021-3
Contested design: 005658507-0007
Outcome
The appeal is dismissed, and the design holder must bear the costs of the invalidity and appeal proceedings.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Die Beschwerde wird zurueckgewiesen. 2. Die Inhaberin traegt die Kosten des Nichtigkeits- und des Beschwerdeverfahrens.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Out of the blue KGvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Beim neuen Damm 28, 28865 Lilienthal, Deutschland
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
MYDO GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Osterfeldstraße 6, 22529 Hamburg, Deutschland
Prior art cited (3)
Green Maneki-neko figurine shown in a Diminuto Cielo Facebook post
facebook.com/diminutocieloshop/photos · Facebook · disclosed 2014-11-05
Red Maneki-neko figurine among multiple colour variants
Diminuto Cielo Facebook post · Facebook · disclosed 2015-02-28
Maneki-neko figurine shown on Instagram
Diminuto Cielo Instagram post · Instagram · disclosed 2015-03-10
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The design holder argued that the Facebook and Instagram materials did not prove a relevant public disclosure and that colour, finish and back details distinguished the contested cat figurine.
- ›The invalidity applicant maintained that Diminuto Cielo's time-stamped social-media posts disclosed the earlier figurines before filing and that the red cat shown as D2 created the same overall impression.
- ›The Board held that the earlier figurine D2 had been disclosed before the filing date and that the minor differences in tone, surface finish, rear details and base support did not change the overall impression.
- ›The appeal was dismissed and the invalidation for lack of individual character was maintained.
Deciding panel
- ChairG. Humphreys
- RapporteurE. Fink
- MemberA. Pohlmann
- Registrarp.o. M. Chaleva
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| frfrançais (fr) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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