Invalidity · first instance · 2022-06-15
000115342
Contested design: 000322557-0001
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity of Registered Community design No 000322557-0001 is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holders' costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Der Antrag auf Nichtigerklärung des eingetragenen Gemeinschaftsgeschmacksmusters Nr. 000322557-0001 wird zurückgewiesen. 2. Die Antragstellerin trägt die Kosten der Inhaber, die auf 400 EUR festgesetzt werden.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
DJO, LLCvia PDF extraction
United States (US)
5919 Sea Otter Place, Suite #200, Carlsbad, California 92010, Vereingte Staaten von Amerika
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Hallufix AGvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Tulbeckstr. 32, 80339 München, Deutschland
Prior art cited (1)
orthopaedic device for correcting toe misalignments
EP 1 688 106 B1 · European patent publication · disclosed 2006-08-09
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity under Article 25(1)(b), arguing the hallux-valgus splint was purely technical and lacked novelty and individual character over D1, EP 1 688 106 B1.
- ›The holders argued the contested design remained new and individual, was not exclusively technically dictated, and noted an earlier invalidity case had already rejected the same legal grounds.
- ›The Division held the technical-function evidence did not show that the concrete shapes and proportions of the splint's features were exclusively dictated by function; technical marketing references alone were insufficient.
- ›The Division also found no proof that D1 had been disclosed before the contested RCD's filing date, because the patent publication date was 9 August 2006, after 8 April 2005.
- ›The application was therefore rejected, and the applicant was ordered to pay the holders' fixed costs of EUR 400.
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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