Invalidity · first instance · 2026-03-05
000127245
Contested design: 000732607-0010
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity is upheld, the contested EU design 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. 000732607-0010 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
Robert Bosch GmbHvia PDF extraction
Germany (DE)
Gerlingen, Deutschland
Holder · RCD owner
KNIPEX-WERK C. Gustav Putsch KG
Germany (DE)
Wuppertal, Germany
Represented by
Prior art cited (1)
water-pump pliers
Chinese design No. 3040630 (application No. 95301009.0) · WIPO Global Design Database / Chinese Patent Office · disclosed 1996-02-07
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›The applicant sought invalidity for lack of novelty and individual character based on an earlier Chinese design disclosed before the contested filing date.
- ›The holder requested rejection, argued the cited design was effectively an imitation of its own product, and highlighted visual differences said to create a different overall impression.
- ›The Division found an oral hearing unnecessary and held that any alleged imitation was irrelevant because the cited design had been publicly disclosed before the contested filing date.
- ›Given at least average design freedom, the minor differences did not change the overall impression; the contested design lacked individual character and was declared invalid.
Deciding panel
- MemberWolfgang SCHRAMEK
- MemberNatascha GALPERIN
- MemberThorsten ICKENROTH
Decision files
| Language | Type | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| enEnglish (en) | machine translated | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
| deGerman | original | Download original from EUIPO ↗ |
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