62022TJ0492_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 6 September 2023 –Iwuć v EUIPO – Hangzhou XiangHui (Packaging box and set of socks)
(Case T‑492/22) (
1
)
(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing a packaging box and a set of socks – Grounds for invalidity – Articles 5, 7 and 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)
1.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Lack of novelty – Previous disclosure of identical design – Proof of the disclosure
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 5(1)(b), 7(1) and 25(1)(b))
(see paragraphs 16, 17)
2.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Lack of novelty – Previous disclosure of identical design – Representation of a packaging box and a set of socks
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 5(1)(b), 7(1) and 25(1)(b))
(see paragraphs 25-27, 29, 33, 34, 36)
3.
Community designs – Conditions for protection – Overlap of the conditions of novelty and individual character
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 5 and 6)
(see paragraph 32)
4.
Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Pleas and complaints not capable of giving rise to annulment of the contested act – Ineffective pleas in law
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see paragraph 40)
5.
Action for annulment – Subject matter – Decision based on several pillars of reasoning, each sufficient to justify the operative part – Annulment of such a decision – Conditions
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 41, 42)
6.
Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Use of a distinctive sign in a subsequent design – Invalidity of the subsequent design –Maintenance in an amended form
(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 25(6))
(see paragraph 49)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders each party to bear its own costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 368, 26.9.2022.