Invalidity · first instance · 2023-01-09
000118939
Contested design: 005173507-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, the contested RCD is declared invalid, and the holder must bear costs fixed at EUR 750.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld. 2. Registered Community design No 0051735070001 is declared invalid. 3. The holder bears the costs, fixed at EUR 750.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Vitra Collections AGvia PDF extraction
Switzerland (CH)
Klünenfeldstr. 22, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Jingzhen Liuvia PDF extraction
China (CN)
No. 35, Group 3 village committee, GongAn village, DaWa town, ChangTu county, LiaoNing province, 112500 China
Represented by
Prior art cited (1)
Eames Plastic Side Chair (DSW chair) in white tone
https://www.faz.net · Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung website, supported by Facebook and Twitter posts · disclosed 2016-06-15
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty, arguing the contested chair reproduced its earlier Eames Plastic Side Chair disclosed online well before the filing date.
- ›The holder filed no observations and did not challenge the applicant's evidence or the alleged prior disclosure.
- ›The Invalidity Division accepted the online article, Facebook posts, and Twitter extracts together as sufficient proof that the prior DSW chair had been disclosed before filing.
- ›It found the prior and contested chairs identical, upheld the invalidity application under Article 25(1)(b) and Article 5(1)(b), and declared the design invalid.
Deciding panel
- MemberEnrico D’ERRICO
- MemberLudmila CELISOVA
- MemberElisabetta FERRARO
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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