Invalidity · first instance · 2020-11-20
000108310
Contested design: 006352332-0002
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, the contested RCD is declared invalid, and the holder must pay the applicant's fixed costs of EUR 750.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld. 2. Registered Community design No 0063523320002 is declared invalid. 3. The holder bears the applicant’s costs, fixed at EUR 750.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Wobben Properties GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Dreekamp 5, 26605 Aurich, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Tom Andresenvia PDF extraction
Portugal (PT)
Volta da Romanzeira Edificio Villa Nature, apt. 03C, 8125-407 Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal
Represented by
Prior art cited (3)
tubular tower and construction procedure
WO 2010/055535 A1 · WIPO · disclosed 2010-05-20
Flanschsegment fur ein Windenergieanlagen-Stahlturmringsegment und Verfahren
DE 10 2017 106 201 A1 · Germany · disclosed 2018-09-27
screenshots from Flickr and YouTube showing wind turbine tower segment photos and a video still
Flickr and YouTube
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character and also invoked exclusion grounds concerning non-visible component parts, technical function, and interconnections.
- ›The holder disputed disclosure of the earlier designs and argued the contested design was new, had individual character, and was not dictated by technical function.
- ›The Division accepted publication of D1 through WIPO as a valid disclosure and treated the informed user as familiar with modular wind turbine tower segments.
- ›It found the shared overall shape outweighed differences in holes and number of bends, so the contested design lacked individual character under Article 6(1)(b) CDR.
- ›The application was upheld in full, the RCD was declared invalid, and the holder was ordered to bear fixed costs of EUR 750.
Deciding panel
- MemberMichele M. BENEDETTI - ALOISI
- MemberGailė SAKALAITĖ
- MemberBirgit CESSY 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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