Invalidity · first instance · 2023-01-19
000116506
Contested design: 000969175-0001
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity against Registered Community Design No 000969175-0001 is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text(fr)
1. La demande en nullité à l’encontre du dessin ou modèle communautaire enregistré nº 000969175-0001 est rejetée. 2. La demanderesse supporte les frais de la titulaire, fixés à 400 EUR.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Dastex Reinraumzubehör GmbH & Co. KGvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Draisstraße 23, 76461 Muggensturm, Allemagne
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
BeMicron Société anonymevia PDF extraction
Belgium (BE)
rue Auguste Piccard 48, 6041 Charleroi, Belgique
Represented by
Prior art cited (2)
cleanroom suit
FR 2 810 855 A1 · French patent publication · disclosed 2002-01-04
cleanroom suit model
CleanRooms, page 39, June 2008 · CleanRooms magazine
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant argued that the contested cleanroom suit lacked unity, was dictated by technical function in key features, and lacked novelty and individual character over earlier patent disclosures.
- ›The holder replied that the registration clearly showed a single cleanroom suit, the disputed loops and closures were not exclusively technical, and the prior French patent created a different overall impression.
- ›The Division found no inconsistency in the seven views, treated the late CleanRooms model as inadmissible, and accepted only the French patent disclosure as relevant prior art for novelty and individual character.
- ›Because the prior French model differed in visible features such as the eye opening, raglan sleeves, waist shape, and placement of buttons and loops, the contested design retained individual character and novelty, so the invalidity application was rejected.
Deciding panel
- MemberLudmila CELISOVA
- MemberJessica N. LEWIS
- MemberCarmen SÁNCHEZ PALOMARES
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| frFrench | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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