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Contested design 015004754-0003

Invalidity · first instance · 2024-01-15

000121100

Contested design: 015004754-0003

CDR

Outcome

Application rejected (holder wins)

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 015004754-0003 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

TABB Interior Systems B.V.via PDF extraction

Netherlands (NL)

Zeusstraat 2, 5048 CA Tilburg, Netherlands

Represented by

AKD N.V.

Holder · RCD owner

VREE Group B.V.via PDF extraction

Netherlands (NL)

Gessel 62, 3454 MZ De Meern, Netherlands

Represented by

RISE

Prior art cited (5)

Prior useD1⚠ rejected as evidence

Partly assembled prototype of a telephone booth shown in the applicant's premises

Applicant showroom photo metadata, Tilburg, Netherlands · disclosed 2019-12-12

Prior useD2

Fully assembled prototype telephone booth displayed in the applicant's and holder's showrooms

Showroom photo metadata, Tilburg and De Meern, Netherlands · disclosed 2020-06-16

Registered RCDD3

Video-conferencing booths / booths / cubicles / telephone boxes

Community design registration No 002772418-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2015-09-28

Web disclosureD4

Otto Design / Soundproof Office Pod

www.DesignNest.com listing uploaded on 2020-10-27 · DesignNest.com · disclosed 2020-10-27

Web disclosureD5⚠ rejected as evidence

Drawings / technical instructions of the Soundproof Office Pod

Technical instructions for the Otto Design on www.DesignNest.com · DesignNest.com

Legal grounds invoked

Article 25(1)(b)Article 4(1)Article 5(1)(b)Article 6(1)(b)Article 7(1)

Argument summary

  • Applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character, relying on earlier showroom disclosures, website disclosures, sales emails, an earlier RCD, and the Otto design.
  • Holder denied any qualifying public disclosure, argued the prototypes remained confidential or non-public, and said the cited earlier designs created a different overall impression.
  • The Division accepted disclosure only for the fully assembled prototype D2, plus D3 and D4, but found novelty preserved because the differences were not immaterial.
  • The Division also found the contested booth created a different overall impression from D3 and D4 and therefore retained individual character; the invalidity application was rejected.

Deciding panel

  • MemberLudmila ČELIŠOVÁ
  • MemberElisabetta FERRARO
  • MemberEnrico D’ERRICO

Decision files

LanguageTypeSource link
deDeutsch (de)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
esespañol (es)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
frfrançais (fr)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
ititaliano (it)machine translatedDownload original from EUIPO ↗
enEnglishoriginalDownload original from EUIPO ↗

Locarno classes

25.03

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