Invalidity · first instance · 2020-09-30
000107944
Contested design: 005650546-0006
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must pay the holder's fixed costs of EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 0056505460006 is rejected. The applicant bears the holder’s costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Henkel AG & Co. KGaAvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
IP Department (CLI), Henkelstrasse 67, 40589 Düsseldorf, Germany
Represented by
Jörg Schmidt
Holder · RCD owner
Reckitt Benckiser Finish B.V.
Netherlands (NL)
Siriusdreef 14, 2132 WT Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Prior art cited (1)
dosage packaging for washing agents
RCD No 0036197170010 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2019-05-07
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant claimed the contested washing-product capsule design conflicted with its earlier RCD because both created the same overall impression, especially in the dominant top view.
- ›Holder argued designer freedom was constrained by film-based manufacturing and that differences in compartment shape, compact circular form, and granulated features produced a different overall impression.
- ›The Division accepted the earlier RCD as a valid prior design, found only moderate constraints on designer freedom, and compared the designs while disregarding the prior design's disclaimed circular contour and the contested design's decorative details.
- ›The Division found the contested design's compact circular capsule and differently shaped surrounding compartments outweighed the shared central compartment and rotational arrangement, so no conflict existed under Article 25(1)(d).
- ›The invalidity application was rejected and the applicant was ordered to bear the holder's fixed representation costs.
Deciding panel
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberLudmila ČELIŠOVÁ
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
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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