Invalidity · first instance · 2026-06-29
000131606
Contested design: 015068162-0003
Outcome
The application for a declaration of invalidity of EU design No 015068162-0003 is rejected; the applicant bears the holder's costs fixed at EUR 400.
Show verbatim operative text
1. The application for a declaration of invalidity of registered EU design No 015068162-0003 is rejected. 2. The applicant bears the holder's costs, fixed at EUR 400.
CostsApplicant ordered to pay costs of €400
Parties
Applicant · invalidity challenger
Metale Internationalvia PDF extraction
Romania (RO)
Focsani, Romania
Holder · RCD owner
Wistron Industrial Co., LTDvia PDF extraction
SC
Victoria Mahe, Seychelles
Represented by
Prior art cited (5)
SeAH Steel Corporation 'Electronic Galvanized Steel Coil & Sheet' guide, steel coil packing image
SeAH Steel Corporation · disclosed 2007-12-31
Dongbu Steel guidelines 'GI/SGL/EGI/ALCOT', steel coil packing image
Dongbu Steel · disclosed 2011-12-31
CMA CGM 'Technical Guidelines for STEEL COILS in ISO Containers'
CMA CGM · disclosed 2011-08-08
TT CLUB guide 'Transport of Coiled Materials in Containers'
TT CLUB · disclosed 2016-12-31
YouTube and Facebook video stills of various coil packings (2014-2024); two designs underlined by applicant dated 13/05/2014 and 17/12/2021
YouTube / Facebook
Legal grounds invoked
Argument summary
- ›Applicant challenged steel coil packaging design (four views) for lack of novelty and individual character, submitting industry guides (2007-2016) and online video screenshots; argued the contested design is indistinguishable from prior coil packaging methods used in maritime transport for over 12 years.
- ›Holder did not submit observations in reply.
- ›Division admitted only D1 (SeAH Steel 2007) and D2 (Dongbu Steel 2011) as disclosed; two other invoked prior designs lacked source information; YouTube screenshots in Annex 5 were rejected as too small, blurry, or showing multiple stacked packages without clear identification of a specific prior design.
- ›Comparison of the contested design against D1 and D2 revealed significant differences in number and arrangement of transverse bands (5 vs 3 and 4), presence of three circumferential bands in contested design vs none in D1 and two in D2, exposed white edge protectors, and different central opening diameter; contested design produces a different overall impression and has individual character and novelty; application rejected.
Deciding panel
- MemberGailė SAKALAITĖ-ORLOVSKIENĖ
- MemberRasa BARAKAUSKIENĖ
- MemberCarlos MATEO PÉREZ
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000131625 vs WISTRON INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD | 2026-06-29 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000129508 vs Messerle GmbH | 2026-04-23 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000129522 vs Messerle GmbH | 2026-04-14 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000127995 vs Jaroslav Masopust | 2026-02-06 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000129516 vs MOHAMAR JAMOU | 2026-01-14 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000128115 vs GREEN TEAM EUROPE A/S | 2025-11-20 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000123774 vs Gusta Garden GmbH | 2024-11-06 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |
| 000123875 vs Multiple Products B.V. | 2024-10-15 | — | Art 25(1)(b) | 09 | 7 |