Invalidity · first instance · 2021-10-19
000113622
Contested design: 008028385-0005
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, the contested Registered Community design is declared invalid, and the holder must bear costs fixed at EUR 750.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
Dem Antrag auf Nichtigerklärung wird stattgegeben. Das eingetragene Gemeinschaftsgeschmacksmuster Nr. 0080283850005 wird für nichtig erklärt. 3. Die Inhaberin trägt die Kosten, die auf 750 EUR festgesetzt werden.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
LEGO Juris A/Svia PDF extraction
Denmark (DK)
Koldingvej 2, 7190 Dänemark
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Guangdong Xingbao Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
China (CN)
Longtan Industrial Area, Shangxiang Village, Lianshang Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, Volksrepublik China
Represented by
Prior art cited (3)
toy figure
Internationales Geschmacksmuster Nr. 0076470-0019 · Blatt für internationale Geschmacksmuster · disclosed 2011-08-31
practically identical toy figure design filed in China
202030140686.0 · China
practically identical toy figure design filed in Ukraine
42271 · Ukraine
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of individual character, arguing that the contested toy figure created the same overall impression as LEGO's earlier international design D1.
- ›The holder argued the contested design was new and individual, denied any unfair appropriation, and said the toy-figure field was crowded with similar forms including Polly Pocket figures.
- ›The Division accepted D1 as a prior disclosure under Article 7(1), rejected the market-saturation argument for lack of representative proof, and treated the later-invoked Chinese and Ukrainian designs as inadmissible.
- ›Given the designer's broad freedom for toy figures, the Division found the shared proportions, head, torso, arms, skirt and feet created the same overall impression despite several detail differences.
- ›The application was upheld, the contested design was declared invalid for lack of individual character, and the holder was ordered to pay EUR 750 in costs.
Deciding panel
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberAlvaro SESMA MERINO
- MemberIvanka IVANOVA
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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