Invalidity · first instance · 2023-02-26
000116828
Contested design: 001763210-0001
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Der Antrag auf Nichtigerklärung des eingetragenen Gemeinschaftsgeschmacksmusters Nr. 001763210-0001 wird zurückgewiesen. 2. Die Antragstellerin trägt die Kosten der Inhaberin, die auf 400 EUR festgesetzt werden.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Przedsiębiorstwo Produkcyjno-Usługowe DRÓŻDŻ Ewa Dróżdżvia PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
ul. Kaszubska 41, 42202 Częstochowa, Polen
Holder · RCD owner
Albrecht Auto-Zubehör GmbH
Germany (DE)
Kochstr. 56, 47805 Krefeld, Deutschland
Represented by
Anna Korbela
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity under Article 25(1)(f), claiming the contested wheel-cover design unlawfully used a Polish-copyright-protected work created in 2009 by employee Andrzej Gruca and inherited by Ewa Drozdz's business.
- ›The holder argued the Office could not decide ownership of the design, disputed the applicant's claimed copyright chain, said Bernhard Kummer was the true creator, and also raised a procedural objection to the German translation timing.
- ›The Division rejected the procedural objection because the translation deficiency was cured in time after the Office invitation.
- ›On the merits, the Division found the applicant had not reliably proved ownership of the invoked copyright before the 4 October 2010 filing date, because the evidence was weak, largely interested-source material, and did not clearly establish authorship or transfer of rights.
- ›The invalidity application was therefore rejected, and the applicant was ordered to pay the holder's costs fixed at 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 ↗ |
Locarno classes
Similar decisions
Ranked by shared Locarno class + shared legal grounds + matching outcome. Click a case to view full detail.
| Case | Date | Outcome | Shared grounds | Locarno | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000116790 vs Albrecht Auto-Zubehör GmbH | 2023-03-07 | — | Art 25(1)(f) | 12 | 7 |
| 000116789 vs Albrecht Auto-Zubehör GmbH | 2023-03-02 | — | Art 25(1)(f) | 12 | 7 |
| 000104359 vs Lohia e-mobility GmbH | 2020-06-23 | Invalidity application rejected | Art 25(1)(f) | 12 | 7 |
| 000009968 vs IPOST EXPRESS S.R.L. | 2018-05-11 | Invalidity application rejected | Art 25(1)(f) | 12 | 7 |
| 000128826 vs Shenzhen Lireder Industrial Co., Ltd. | 2025-08-18 | — | — | 12 | 5 |
| 000120579 vs Lohia e-mobility GmbH | 2025-03-12 | — | — | 12 | 5 |
| 000120480 vs VER PLAST S.r.l. | 2023-11-13 | — | — | 12 | 5 |
| 000120410 vs VER PLAST S.r.l. | 2023-11-10 | — | — | 12 | 5 |