Invalidity · first instance · 2025-08-18
000126578
Contested design: 004660397-0002
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld; EU design No. 004660397-0002 is declared invalid, and the holder must bear costs fixed at EUR 750.
Show verbatim operative text(de)
1. Dem Antrag auf Nichtigerklärung wird stattgegeben. 2. Das eingetragene EU-Geschmacksmuster Nr. 004660397-0002 wird für nichtig erklärt. 3. Die Inhaberin trägt die Kosten, die auf 750 EUR festgesetzt werden.
CostsHolder ordered to pay costs of €750
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
kwb Germany GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Stuhr, Deutschland
Represented by
Prior art cited (1)
Amazon listing for the iFixit Pro Tech toolkit / bit driver
ASIN B01GF0KV6G · amazon.com · disclosed 2015-11-21
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The invalidity applicants argued that the contested design lacked novelty and individual character because an identical or near-identical iFixit bit driver had been offered on amazon.com since 21 November 2015.
- ›The holder disputed disclosure and said the 2024 Amazon screenshot did not prove the product appearance in 2015, relying on forum material, declarations, and a 2017 website capture to claim the product had changed.
- ›The Division found D1 sufficiently disclosed on amazon.com before the filing date and outside the grace period, and held that the holder had not rebutted that disclosure with convincing independent evidence.
- ›Comparing the designs, the Division found only minor differences in proportions and detailing, no different overall impression on the informed user, and therefore invalidated the design for lack of individual character.
Deciding panel
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberThorsten ICKENROTH
- MemberWolfgang SCHRAMEK
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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