Invalidity appeal · Board of Appeal · 2025-02-14
R1002/2024-3
Contested design: 006857819-0001
Outcome
The appeal is dismissed, and the invalidity applicant must bear the holder's costs and fees in the invalidity and appeal proceedings.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Die Beschwerde wird zurückgewiesen. 2. Die Nichtigkeitsantragstellerin trägt die Kosten und Gebühren der Inhaberin im Nichtigkeits- und Beschwerdeverfahren.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Jelenia Plast sp. z o.o.via PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
ul. Spoldzielcza 47, 58 500 Jelenia Gora, Polen
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Gusta Garden GmbHvia PDF extraction
Austria (AT)
Eschenweg 16, 9551 Bodensdorf, Österreich
Represented by
Prior art cited (1)
NETTO-Pflanzenturm
Microsoft Bing image search / discounto.de / NETTO · disclosed 2017-03-14
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The invalidity applicant appealed, arguing the contested design lacked novelty and individual character because a NETTO plant tower had been disclosed online before 11 September 2019.
- ›The holder said the Bing image-search date was unreliable and that the product was first promoted in March 2021, supported by a NETTO leaflet, enforcement correspondence, and expert evidence.
- ›The Board held that the Bing screenshot had low evidential value without the underlying webpage and contained contradictory dates that created justified doubt about any 14 March 2017 disclosure.
- ›Because prior disclosure of the cited plant tower was not proven, the invalidity grounds failed, the first-instance refusal was confirmed, and the appeal was dismissed with costs.
Deciding panel
- ChairG. Humphreys Bacon
- RapporteurE. Fink
- MemberA. Pohlmann
- RegistrarH. Dijkema
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish | human translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| frFrench | human translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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