Invalidity · first instance · 2023-07-25
000120862
Contested design: 008840797-0001
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 008840797-0001 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
FootActive Germany e.K.via PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
An der Junkerei 48m, 26389 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Dongguan Zhicheng Lighting Co., Ltd.
China (CN)
No. 40, Housha Road, Qiaotou Community, Houjie Town, Dongguan City, China
Represented by
Marinos Cleanthous
Prior art cited (3)
insoles
Community design registration No 005908761-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2019-01-09
printouts from a German webpage showing 'FootActive ULTRALITE' insoles in different colours
images of insoles submitted to show the design corpus
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character over earlier RCD No 005908761-0001, webpage printouts, and alleged prior market disclosures.
- ›Holder did not submit observations in response to the invalidity application.
- ›The Division accepted disclosure of the earlier RCD bulletin publication, rejected Annex 2 as inadequate web evidence, and found Annex 3 insufficient to prove a crowded design corpus.
- ›Despite similarities in the bottom view, additional top and side features and different colours created a different overall impression, so novelty and individual character were upheld.
Deciding panel
- MemberElisabetta FERRARO
- MemberEnrico DERRICO
- MemberRebecca SANTANA DAVIES
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 ↗ |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000123916 vs Crocs, Inc. | 2024-11-18 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000123935 vs Crocs, Inc. | 2024-11-18 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000120862 vs Dongguan Zhicheng Lighting Co., Ltd. | 2024-11-06 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000122914 vs JSP Limited | 2024-04-25 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000122915 vs JSP Limited | 2024-04-25 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000121459 vs Birkenstock IP GmbH | 2024-04-09 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000121479 vs Birkenstock IP GmbH | 2024-04-08 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |
| 000121478 vs Birkenstock IP GmbH | 2024-04-04 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 02 | 7 |