Invalidity · first instance · 2020-04-06
000106799
Contested design: 004539302-0001
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 004539302-0001 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
ESSAtech s.r.o.via PDF extraction
Czechia (CZ)
Pristoupim 85, 28201 Pristoupim, Czech Republic
Represented by
Jaroslav Novotný
Holder · RCD owner
ADS Leszek Kowalik, Bartłomiej Włodarczyk spółka cywilnavia PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
ul.Joachima Lelewela 23, 41-219 Sosnowiec, Poland
Prior art cited (2)
Photographic documentation of the internal parts of a vehicle key, with examples of both the holder’s product and competitor products.
Images of designs of the same type of products with links to different websites, submitted in the rejoinder to show similar earlier designs.
different websites
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity under Article 25(1)(b) CDR, arguing the design’s circular elements, connecting strip, circuit placement and colour were dictated by technical function and interconnection requirements.
- ›The holder replied that the applicant had not substantiated any lack of individual character, that the cited products were irrelevant or post-dated filing, and that the same function could be achieved with different shapes.
- ›The Division treated the case only under Articles 8(1) and 8(2), rejecting the later prior-art theory because it was not properly defined in the application and the rejoinder images were inadequate.
- ›It found insufficient evidence that all essential features were solely technically dictated; even if some interconnection features were excluded from protection, the design as a whole could not be invalidated.
- ›The application was rejected and the applicant was ordered to pay the holder’s fixed representation costs of EUR 400.
Deciding panel
- MemberLudmila CELISOVA
- MemberIvanka IVANOVA
- MemberMichele M. BENEDETTI-ALOISI
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 ↗ |
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