Invalidity · first instance · 2019-08-14
000011208
Contested design: 003419407-0001
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 003419407-0001 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
TBL Licensing LLC
United States (US)
c/o Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808, United States of America
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Vapesol - Fábrica de Componentes para Calçado, Unipessoal, Ldavia PDF extraction
Portugal (PT)
Devesa Escura - Revinhade, 4650-373 Felgueiras, Portugal
Represented by
Ana Cristina Ribeiro Costa
Prior art cited (1)
sole for footwear
Community design No 001403844-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin No 2014/038 · disclosed 2014-02-26
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of individual character over its earlier Community design for footwear soles, arguing the contested sole was essentially a reversed variation.
- ›The holder argued the designs had visible and substantial differences, designer freedom was limited, and the sector was crowded, so minor differences would matter to the informed user.
- ›The Division admitted the earlier registered design as disclosed prior art, rejected six additional late-filed designs as inadmissible, and found insufficient proof that market crowding affected perception.
- ›Although the lateral views were very similar, the Division found the bottom-view differences and contrasting shading changed the overall impression, so the contested RCD retained individual character and the application was rejected.
Deciding panel
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberIngeborg MENDIETA VETTER
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| 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 ↗ |
Locarno classes
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