Invalidity · first instance · 2021-07-05
000114492
Contested design: 006111506-0003
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 0061115060003 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
Nintendo of Europe GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Goldsteinstrasse 235, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Shenzhen Jieruihong Electronics Co., Ltdvia PDF extraction
China (CN)
(A Zone-1F, A Zone-2F,3F), Blk A, No 3, 88th, Longwangmiao Industrial Park, Baishixia, Fuyong St,Bao’an St, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
Represented by
Prior art cited (2)
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers in blue and red
www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2017 · nintendo.co.uk
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers in grey
www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2017 · nintendo.co.uk
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character based mainly on earlier Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller disclosures shown online before the filing date.
- ›Holder filed no observations in reply to the invalidity application or the evidence of prior disclosure.
- ›The Division accepted the Nintendo website printouts as solid evidence of prior public disclosure before the RCD filing date under Article 7 CDR.
- ›It found the compared controllers created the same overall impression on the informed user, with only minor differences despite broad designer freedom in this sector.
- ›The application was upheld, the RCD was declared invalid in full, and the holder was ordered to pay EUR 750 in costs.
Deciding panel
- MemberEnrico D’ERRICO
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- 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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