Invalidity · first instance · 2024-11-18
000123916
Contested design: 001092258-0001
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(it)
1. La domanda di dichiarazione di nullità del disegno o modello comunitario registrato n. 001092258-0001 è respinta. 2. La richiedente sopporta l’onere delle spese del titolare, fissate a 400 EUR.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
HSM Schuhmarketing GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Werksstr. 15, 45527 Hattingen Germania
Represented by
Holder · RCD owner
Crocs, Inc.
United States (US)
500 Eldorado Boulevard, Building 5, Broomfield Colorado 80021 United States
Represented by
Prior art cited (4)
Crocs Kids’s Crocband Clog Amazon listing
ASIN B004JKMQK4 · amazon.com · disclosed 2004-09-14
Crocs Kids’s Crocband Clog Amazon listing
ASIN B004JKMQK4 · amazon.ca · disclosed 2004-09-14
Crocs Crocband unisex Erwachsene Clogs Amazon listing
ASIN B00LA1SKLE · amazon.de · disclosed 2007-11-30
Crocs Crocband unisex Kids’ Clogs Amazon listing
ASIN B004JKMQK4 · amazon.co.uk · disclosed 2008-10-01
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant argued the contested clog design lacked novelty because Crocs had already disclosed similar products through Amazon listings D1 to D4 before the 23 February 2009 filing date.
- ›The holder disputed the reliability of the Amazon dates and argued the applicant had not specifically substantiated why the Annex A2 designs created the same overall impression.
- ›The Division accepted the Amazon listings as sufficient proof of prior disclosure under Article 7, but found none of D1 to D4 identical to the contested design because visible differences included straps and colour combinations.
- ›For individual character, the Division held Annex A2 was too generic because the applicant did not identify and comment on each earlier design separately; the invalidity application was therefore rejected in full.
Deciding panel
- MemberEnrico D'ERRICO
- MemberChiara BORACE
- MemberJessica N. LEWIS
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish | human translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| itItalian | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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