Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2025:8
Date: 2025-01-15
Language of the case: Polish
Court formation: Third Chamber
Subject matter: Intellectual, industrial and commercial property;Designs;Trade marks
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Poland

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 15 January 2025 – ADS L. Kowalik, B. Włodarczyk v EUIPO – ESSAtech (Accessory for wireless remote controls) (Case T-1064/23) ( Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing an accessory for a wireless remote control – Ground for invalidity – Characteristics of the appearance of a product exclusively imposed by the technical function of that product – Articles 8(1) and 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 – Facts relied on or evidence adduced for the first time before the Board of Appeal – Article 63(2) of Regulation No 6/2002 and Article 27(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625 – Rights of the defence – Article 62 of Regulation No 6/2002 – Principle of sound administration – Article 41(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights – Obligation to state reasons – Article 41(2)(c) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights ) 1. Community designs – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts by the Office of its own motion – Facts and evidence not submitted in due time – Account taken – Discretion of the Board of Appeal – Limits (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 63(2); Commission Delegated Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(4)) (see paragraphs 26-30, 35, 37-39, 57) 2. Community designs – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision taken by a department of EUIPO – Examination by the Board of Appeal – Scope – Examination of EUIPO’s own motion of pleas relating to essential procedural requirements – Whether permissible (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 60(1); Commission Delegated Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(2)) (see paragraphs 40, 41, 56) 3. Community designs – Procedural provisions – Decisions of EUIPO – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 62) (see paragraphs 45-47, 65) 4. EU law – Principles – Principle of good administration/Principle of sound administration – Duty of diligence – Scope (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41) (see paragraph 60) 5. Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Designs dictated by their technical function – Features of appearance of a product which are dictated solely by its technical function – Criteria for assessment – Existence of alternative designs – Irrelevant (Council Regulation No 6/2002, recital 10 and Arts 8(1) and 25(1)(b)) (see paragraphs 73, 80-82) 6. Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Designs dictated by their technical function – Representation of an accessory for a wireless remote control (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 8(1) and 25(1)(b)) (see paragraphs 87, 99, 104) 7. Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Conflict with an earlier design – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Criteria for assessment – Freedom of the designer (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(d)) (see paragraph 103) 8. Community designs – Surrender and invalidity – Application for a declaration of invalidity – Examination of the application – Designs dictated by their technical function – Burden of proof (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 8(1), 25(1)(b) and 63(1)) (see paragraphs 108, 109) Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders ADS L. Kowalik, B. Włodarczyk s.c. to pay the costs.