62020TJ0503_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 22 September 2021 –T i D kontrolni sistemi v EUIPO – Sigmatron (Signalling apparatuses and devices)
(Case T‑503/20)
(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing signalling apparatuses and devices – Earlier Community design – Ground for invalidity – No individual character – Declaration of invalidity of a prior design – No effect – Disclosure of the earlier design – Informed user – Degree of freedom of the designer – No different overall impression – Article 6 and Article 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)
1.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))
(see paras 44, 55, 56)
2.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Informed user – Concept
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))
(see paras 48, 49, 53, 54)
3.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Representation of signalling apparatuses and devices
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))
(see paras 57-59, 77, 78, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97-99)
4.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Criteria for assessment – Creative licence
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))
(see paras 60-63)
5.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design – Global assessment of all the elements of the earlier design
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 6(1) and (2))
(see para. 79)
6.
Community designs – Surrender and invalidity – Application for a declaration of invalidity – Examination of the application – Competence of EUIPO to examine all the requirements laid down in Articles 4 to 9 of Regulation No 6/2002 – Scope
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 4 to 9, 25(1)(b); Commission Regulation No 2245/2002, Art. 28(1)(b)(v))
(see para. 100)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Third Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 30 April 2020 (Case R 956/2019-3) relating to invalidity proceedings between Sigmatron and T i D kontrolni sistemi.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders T i D kontrolni sistemi EOOD to pay the costs.