Invalidity · first instance · 2022-03-25
000116887
Contested design: 008568166-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, the contested RCD is declared invalid, and the holder must pay EUR 750 in costs.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld. 2. Registered Community design No 0085681660001 is declared invalid. 3. The holder bears the costs, fixed at EUR 750.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Utopia Towels Inc.via PDF extraction
United States (US)
8 Elaine Pl, Plainview, New York NY 11803, United States of America
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Xifeng Jiang
China (CN)
Cencunhonghuagang Yi Xiang 6 Hao, Changxingjiedao, Tianhequ, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
Represented by
Prior art cited (1)
Utopia Home Set of 8 Pantry Organizers; individual organiser/container from the set
https://www.amazon.com; ASIN B07TZPF6PM · Amazon.com · disclosed 2019-07-05
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant argued the contested pantry-storage container lacked novelty and individual character because an identical or highly similar organiser had been sold on Amazon since 5 July 2019.
- ›Holder filed no observations and did not rebut the alleged online disclosure or the similarity analysis.
- ›The Division accepted the Amazon printout and customer comments as sufficient evidence that the earlier organiser had been made available to the public before the filing date.
- ›It found the common shape, side cut-outs, transparent material, and fluted bottom outweighed minor proportion differences, so the same overall impression was produced on the informed user.
- ›The application was upheld and the contested design was declared invalid for lack of individual character under Article 25(1)(b) in conjunction with Articles 4(1) and 6(1)(b) CDR.
Deciding panel
- MemberMichele M. BENEDETTI - ALOISI
- MemberLudmila CELISOVA
- MemberMichelle Marie DELLACHERIE
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| deDeutsch (de) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| 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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