Invalidity · first instance · 2024-03-27
000120918
Contested design: 008165971-0002
Outcome
The invalidity application is rejected, and the applicant must bear the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered Community design No 008165971-0002 is rejected. The applicant bears the holder’s costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Evaline Sp. z o.o.via PDF extraction
Poland (PL)
ul. Zamknieta 10/1.6, 30-554 Krakow, Poland
Represented by
Clare Cornell
Holder · RCD owner
Sergiy Fatkulayev
Poland (PL)
Ząbkowska 18/58, 03-735 Warszawa, Poland
Represented by
Daniel Kurdubski
Prior art cited (7)
mats for automobiles
RCD No 003146976-0002 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2016-07-18
carpets for automobiles
RCD No 003146950-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2016-07-18
carpets for automobiles
RCD No 002656322-0001 · Community Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2015-03-18
car mat
Russian design registration No 118709 · Russian Designs Bulletin · disclosed 2020-02-13
honeycomb and diamond-patterned car-mat material shown in a video screenshot
https://www.youtube.com · YouTube · disclosed 2018-05-10
Instagram post showing five different car mats with different colours and patterns
Instagram · disclosed 2019-05-27
Instagram post showing a car mat
Instagram · disclosed 2017-02-04
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant argued that the contested car-mat design lacked novelty and individual character over earlier registered designs, a Russian design, and social-media disclosures showing similar honeycomb or diamond-patterned mats.
- ›The holders disputed that the mat's shape was technically dictated, arguing that mats for the same vehicle model can be designed differently and that the applicant had not proved its invalidity grounds.
- ›The Division accepted disclosure of D1-D5 and D7 but disregarded D6 because the invoked design was not identified with sufficient certainty from the multi-product Instagram post.
- ›The Division found the designer retained meaningful freedom, the contested design created a different overall impression from each accepted prior design, and the invalidity application therefore had to be rejected.
Deciding panel
- MemberElisabetta FERRARO
- MemberEnrico D'ERRICO
- 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 ↗ |
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