Invalidity · first instance · 2020-07-06
000105880
Contested design: 002733287-0002
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 0027332870002 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
Maciej Stachlewski Przedsiębiorstwo Wielobranżowe "BUD-MASZ"via PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
3 Maja 37, 95-083 Lutomiersk, Poland
Holder · RCD owner
BUDMAT Bogdan Więcek
Poland (PL)
ul. Otolińska 25, 09-407 Płock, Poland
Represented by
Prior art cited (4)
ornamental design for roof covering products
US 416 338 · United States patent registration certificate · disclosed 1999-11-09
ornamental design for roof covering products
US 374 095 · United States patent registration certificate · disclosed 1996-09-24
Chinese design registration invoked against the contested RCD
CN02361255X · China
Chinese design registration invoked against the contested RCD
CN96302647X · China
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character based on two Chinese design registrations, two US design patent registrations, and examples of earlier RCDs.
- ›The holder argued the US designs would not have become known in the EU, disputed the applicant's characterisation of the informed user and design features, and maintained that all features of the contested RCD had design significance.
- ›The Division accepted disclosure of the two US patent registrations, but rejected the Chinese registrations as unproven because the publication details were untranslated and the later DesignView extracts were belated.
- ›The Division found limited designer freedom for roof coverings but held that differences in the wave-like separating elements, longitudinal extrusions, module count, and curved surfaces gave the contested RCD a different overall impression and preserved individual character.
- ›The invalidity application was rejected, with costs awarded against the applicant.
Deciding panel
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberGailė SAKALAITĖ
- MemberBirgit FILTENBORG
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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