Invalidity · first instance · 2025-06-23
000125715
Contested design: 015016117-0001
Outcome
The invalidity application is upheld, Registered EU design No 015016117-0001 is declared invalid, and the holder must bear EUR 750 in costs.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld. 2. Registered EU design No 015016117-0001 is declared invalid. 3. The holder bears the costs, fixed at EUR 750.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Volvo Car Corporationvia PDF extraction
Sweden (SE)
Göteborg, Sweden
Holder · RCD owner
Skywell Automobile Co., Ltdvia PDF extraction
China (CN)
Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China
Prior art cited (4)
applicant's earlier design
earlier design of Polestar Performance AB, an affiliated company of the applicant
automobile headlight design incorporated in the 'BEO' car
https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Elektroauto-Elaris-Beo-Mittelklasse-SUV-aus-China-kommt-nach-Deutschland-6057779.html · heise.de · disclosed 2021-05-31
Chinese registration for a nearly identical design
CN 306968140 · China
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character, relying on D1 to D4, especially D3 shown in a 31 May 2021 heise.de article about the BEO car.
- ›Holder challenged the authenticity and quality of the website evidence, argued the whole headlight and illuminated daytime running lights should be considered, and maintained the designs created different impressions.
- ›The Division held only the front-visible features of the headlight matter under Article 4(2), accepted D3 as a valid internet disclosure outside the grace period, and found sufficient designer freedom.
- ›Comparing the visible features, it found the designs highly similar and the daytime-running-light differences insufficient to alter the overall impression, so the contested design lacked individual character.
Deciding panel
- MemberRebecca SANTANA DAVIES
- MemberBenjamin VAN BAVEL
- MemberRasa BARAKAUSKIENĖ
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000130945 vs Space Copenhagen Design ApS | 2026-05-11 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131284 vs Venture MK UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | 2026-04-13 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131264 vs Venture MK UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | 2026-04-13 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131304 vs Venture MK UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | 2026-04-13 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131245 vs Venture MK UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | 2026-04-13 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131366 vs DANMAR TECH SL | 2026-04-08 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000131247 vs chao zhai | 2026-04-02 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |
| 000129540 vs Ningbo Wilder Outdoor Products Co., Ltd. | 2026-03-24 | REUD invalidated | Art 25(1)(b) | 26 | 8 |