Invalidity · first instance · 2022-08-31
000117938
Contested design: 008307060-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 0083070600001 is rejected. 2. The applicant bears the holder’s costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
J Hudson & Co (Whistles) Limitedvia PDF extraction
United Kingdom (GB)
244 Barr Street, Hockley, Birmingham B19 3AH, United Kingdom
Holder · RCD owner
Anhui Qianhai Electronic Commerce Co., Ltd.
China (CN)
Office 2505, Bldg 10, Bailemen Mingpinguangchang, No. 558, Lianhua Road, Eco-Tech Development zone, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
Represented by
Prior art cited (6)
black-and-white whistle design shown in the EUTM registration
EUTM registration No 8 636 482 · European Union Trade Marks Bulletin / eSearch plus · disclosed 2010-04-26
red whistle design shown in the EUTM registration
EUTM registration No 8 636 482 · European Union Trade Marks Bulletin / eSearch plus · disclosed 2010-04-26
Google search results and website printouts for an Acme dog whistle design
www.google.com search for 'acme dog whistle 211.5' · Google / invoked websites
Google search results and website printout for an Acme dog whistle design
www.google.de search for 'hundepfeife acme-pfeifen.de' · Google / acme-pfeifen.de
Google search results and website offers for an Acme dog whistle design
www.google.de search for 'acme hundepfeife 211 05' · Google / invoked websites
page 7 of an alleged 1971 J Hudson & Co (Whistles) Ltd. catalogue showing a whistle design
J Hudson & Co (Whistles) Ltd. catalogue
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant argued the whistle in the contested design matched earlier disclosures and that the lanyard and connection assembly were standard features that could not confer novelty or individual character.
- ›The holder filed no observations in response to the invalidity application.
- ›The Division accepted disclosure of D1a and D1b from the EUTM record, but found Annexes 3 to 6 insufficient to prove when the invoked web and catalogue materials were made available to the public.
- ›Comparing only D1a and D1b with the full contested design, the Division held the added lanyard and connection assembly materially changed the overall impression, so the design had individual character and novelty and the application was rejected.
Deciding panel
- MemberLudmila ČELIŠOVÁ
- MemberElisabetta FERRARO
- MemberRasa BARAKAUSKIENĖ
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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