Invalidity · first instance · 2018-10-25
000010127
Contested design: 000141999-0002
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 000141999-0002 is rejected. 2. The applicant bears the holder’s costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Avery Zweckform GmbH
Germany (DE)
Miesbacher Straße 5, 83626 Oberlaindem/Valley, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Sanford, L.P.
United States (US)
6655 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328 Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Represented by
Prior art cited (10)
Photocopy from a gravure-printing textbook describing rectangular print marks.
Lehrbuch der Druckindustrie: Tiefdruck (Vol. 5) · Lehrbuch der Druckindustrie: Tiefdruck
Operating instructions for sheet-cutting machines describing print-mark requirements.
Examples of print sheets used for cigarette packets, hair-care advertising, and Kodak advertising.
Photographs of labels for printing and extracts from articles showing various labels for printing.
TTX67 · newspaper / publication extracts
Brochure with a post mark dated 21/06/2002 and views of label products.
www.dymo.de · www.dymo.de
Undated photographs of label rolls and a brochure bearing the same date as Annex 10.
1994 catalogue containing a large variety of labels from various views.
catalogue
Extracts from a January 1999 catalogue with processing instructions but no comparable design views.
catalogue
European patent copy relied on for the technical character of rectangular print marks.
EP 1 718 472 B1
European patent copy relied on for the technical character of rectangular print marks.
EP 0 934 168 B1
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity because the design allegedly showed multiple appearances, lacked novelty and individual character, and contained features solely dictated by technical function.
- ›The holder disputed all grounds, relied on court and expert material, and argued that several features reflected design choices and that workable alternative designs existed.
- ›The Division found the registration images consistently showed one label-roll design and did not establish any defect under Article 3(a).
- ›On technical function, the applicant proved at most that small print marks were functional, but not that all relevant features were solely dictated by function.
- ›For novelty and individual character, the cited material did not clearly identify and validly disclose comparable earlier designs, so the application was rejected in full.
Deciding panel
- MemberChiara BORACE
- MemberGailė SAKALAITĖ
- MemberLudmila ČELIOVA
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
Locarno classes
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