Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2023-01-09
R0068/2022-3
Contested design: 008272777-0017
Outcome
The contested decision is annulled, the contested RCD is declared invalid, and the design holders must bear the invalidity applicant’s costs and fees.
Show verbatim operative text
1. Annuls the contested decision and declares Community design No 8 272 777-0017 invalid; 2. 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
Crocs, Inc.via PDF extraction
United States (US)
13601 Via Varra, Broomfield Colorado 80020, United States of America
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Livia PDF extraction
United Kingdom (GB)
Unit 24 Century Street, Sheffield S95DX, United Kingdom
Prior art cited (1)
clog / shoe design sold in the applicant’s online store
Crocs Duet Sport Clog, model Item #11911 · Crocs online store and customer reviews
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Crocs argued that the contested clog design lacked novelty and individual character over its earlier Duet Sport Clog design disclosed online in the European Union since 2012.
- ›The design holders defended the first-instance rejection, disputing whether the earlier disclosure and the alleged differences could invalidate the RCD.
- ›The Board found the prior clog and the contested RCD produced the same overall impression, with the alleged differences too minor to offset the strong similarities.
- ›The appeal was allowed, the contested decision annulled, and the RCD declared invalid.
Deciding panel
- ChairG. Humphreys
- RapporteurC. Negro
- MemberC. Bartos
- RegistrarH. Dijkema
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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