Invalidity · first instance · 2019-07-05
000101480
Contested design: 002733683-0001
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Der Antrag auf Nichtigerklärung des eingetragenen Gemeinschaftsgeschmacksmusters Nr. 002733683-0001 wird zurückgewiesen. 2. Die Antragstellerin trägt die Kosten der Inhaberin, die auf 400 EUR festgesetzt werden.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
PMR Handelsgesellschaft mbH
Germany (DE)
Fennstr. 1, 12439 Berlin, Deutschland
Holder · RCD owner
Soma Group d.o.o.
RS
Terazije 42, 11000 Beograd, Serbien
Represented by
Prior art cited (2)
Schlafsofas, Sofagarnituren, Sofas
German design No. 40 2014 203520-0001 · DPMA register · disclosed 2015-02-06
sofa set
International registration No. D087019-0001 · Hague Express · disclosed 2015-08-07
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The invalidity applicant relied on German design D1 and international design D2, arguing the contested sofa design lacked novelty and individual character and conflicted with an earlier protected design.
- ›The holder said D1 and D2 were effectively the same prior design and that the contested design created a clearly different overall impression.
- ›The Division treated D1 and D2 as the same earlier design, found D1 had been disclosed before the contested filing date, and compared the designs from the perspective of the informed user of sofa sets.
- ›It found multiple visible differences in the armrests, base structure, seat surfaces, and backrest segmentation, so the contested design had individual character and was not identical to the earlier design.
- ›The invalidity grounds under Articles 25(1)(b) and 25(1)(d) failed, the application was rejected, and costs were awarded against the applicant.
Deciding panel
- MemberAlvaro SESMA MERINO
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberIngeborg MENDIETA VETTER
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
Locarno classes
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