Invalidity · first instance · 2018-07-06
000010727
Contested design: 001769167-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must pay the holder's fixed costs of EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 001769167-0001 is rejected. The applicant bears the holder’s costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
McCain Foods Limited
CA
8800 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick E7L 1B2, Canada
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
J.R. Simplot Company
United States (US)
1099 W. Front Street, Boise, Idaho 83702, United States of America
Represented by
Prior art cited (11)
bread
RCD No 001057921-0003 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2009-01-22
snacks tridimensionali di patate cereali o simili raffiguranti vari soggetti
Italian design registration No 72956 · Office Designview / Italian design register · disclosed 1997-02-14
bouchee alimentaire
design registration No 945061 · French Intellectual Property Institute database · disclosed 1994-12-30
food for short-headed dogs
US patent application No 2008/0038412 A1 · US patent publication · disclosed 2008-02-14
Wellenformiger Snack auf Getreidebasis
design registration No 49908396-0001 · German Patent and Trade Mark Office design database · disclosed 2000-02-10
charcuterie
RCD No 000935333-0002 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2008-06-16
pasta
RCD No 000860507-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2008-03-17
farinaceous food pastes
RCD No 000054770-0002 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2003-11-25
preformed snacks and pasta shapes
UK design registration No 2080321 · UK design database · disclosed 1998-07-13
printout about 'CASINO' biscuits
www.cdiscount.com · cdiscount.com
fishing lure and bait structure
US patent application No 2007/0101637 A1 · US patent publication · disclosed 2007-05-10
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant argued the RCD representation showed multiple inconsistent potato shapes, challenged the priority claim, and alleged lack of novelty and individual character over earlier designs D1 to D11.
- ›Holder replied that the seven views depicted one product from different angles, the priority claim was valid, and none of the cited earlier designs destroyed novelty or individual character.
- ›The Division found the representation sufficiently clear and consistent, treated the USPTO objections as office-specific, and accepted the priority claim as based on a regular first filing.
- ›It accepted disclosure of D1 to D8 and D11 but not D9 or D10, then held none of the prior designs was identical or produced the same overall impression as the contested twisted flat oval chip.
- ›The late Article 8(1) technical-function ground was inadmissible, so the invalidity application was rejected and costs were awarded against the applicant.
Deciding panel
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberLudmila ČELIŠOVÁ
- MemberBirgit FILTENBORG
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
Locarno classes
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