Invalidity · first instance · 2023-08-03
000120879
Contested design: 008146088-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 008146088-0001 is rejected. 2. The applicant bears the holder’s costs.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Hi-Tech Automotive (Pty) Ltdvia PDF extraction
ZA
106 Park Drive St Georges, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 60001, South Africa
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
AC Cars Ltd
CY
Maria House, Avlonos Street, 1075 Nicosia, Cyprus
Prior art cited (1)
AC Aceca motor vehicle
Witness statement paragraph 17; Exhibits NP2 and NP3 ('AC COBRA THE COMPLETE STORY' and 'SHELBY AND AC COBRA' by Brian Laban)
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character, arguing the contested design corresponded to the AC Aceca developed in the 1950s and disclosed before the grace period.
- ›The applicant relied on a photograph reproduced as Figure 1, a witness statement, and Exhibits NP2 and NP3 to prove prior disclosure of the earlier design.
- ›The holder filed no observations in response to the invalidity application.
- ›The Division held that the witness statement was uncorroborated and the cited exhibits did not identify or show the relied-on prior design sufficiently to prove disclosure under Article 7(1) CDR.
- ›The application was rejected as unfounded, and the applicant was ordered to bear the holder's costs.
Deciding panel
- MemberRebecca SANTANA DAVIES
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberEnrico D’ERRICO
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000128826 vs Shenzhen Lireder Industrial Co., Ltd. | 2025-08-18 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000120579 vs Lohia e-mobility GmbH | 2025-03-12 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000120480 vs VER PLAST S.r.l. | 2023-11-13 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000120158 vs elobau GmbH & Co. KG | 2023-11-10 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000120409 vs VER PLAST S.r.l. | 2023-11-10 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000120410 vs VER PLAST S.r.l. | 2023-11-10 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000118758 vs HANGZHOU CHIC INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD | 2023-10-16 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |
| 000118721 vs HANGZHOU CHIC INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD | 2023-10-16 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 12 | 7 |