Invalidity · first instance · 2020-07-14
000108701
Contested design: 005843299-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, the contested RCD is declared invalid, and the holder must bear the applicant's costs fixed at EUR 750.
Show verbatim operative text
The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld. Registered Community design No 005843299-0001 is declared invalid. The holder bears the applicant’s costs, fixed at EUR 750.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
VitaSalts AGvia PDF extraction
LI
Landstr. 14, 9496 Balzers, Lichtenstein
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Tuanfang Liu
China (CN)
No. 2, Xia'an, Zhongzhou Village, Zhouhu Town, Anfu County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
Prior art cited (1)
electronic cigarette
International design No DM/097 448 · WIPO design database / International Designs Bulletin No. 35/2017 · disclosed 2017-07-13
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character, relying on an earlier international design for an electronic cigarette published by WIPO in 2017.
- ›The holder filed no response to the invalidity application and submitted no observations on disclosure, designer freedom, or overall impression.
- ›The Division accepted the WIPO extract as sufficient proof of prior disclosure under Article 7 and found average designer freedom for electronic-cigarette shape.
- ›Because the prior and contested designs shared the same overall shape and arrangement of elements, the contested RCD lacked individual character and was declared invalid.
Deciding panel
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberLudmila ČELIŠOVÁ
- MemberAlvaro SESMA MERINO
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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