Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 24 October 2019 –  
Atos Medical v EUIPO — Andreas Fahl Medizintechnik-Vertrieb (medical plasters)

(Case T‑559/18)

(Community design — Invalidity proceedings — Registered Community design representing a medical plaster — Disclosure of the earlier designs — Ground for invalidity — Individual character — Informed user — Degree of freedom of the designer — Different overall impression — Article 6 and Article 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)

| 1. | Community designs — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it — Precluded  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 61)  (see para. 18) |

| 2. | Community designs — Ground for invalidity — No individual character — Previous disclosure of identical design — Proof of the disclosure  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 65(1); Commission Regulation No 2245/2002, Art. 28(1)(b)(v) and (vi))  (see paras 27, 28) |

| 3. | Community designs — Conditions for protection — Individual character — Design giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design — Determination of the overall impression in relation to one or more prior designs, taken individually  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Art. 6)  (see para. 35) |

| 4. | Community designs — Ground 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(2) and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 46, 47) |

| 5. | Community designs — Ground for invalidity — Conflict with an earlier design — Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design — Informed user — Meaning  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1), 10(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 50, 51, 59) |

| 6. | Community designs — Ground 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 prior design  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 57, 58) |

| 7. | Community designs — Ground for invalidity — No individual character — Design not giving the informed user a different overall impression from that produced by the earlier design — Representation of a medical plaster  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 65, 67, 69, 70) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Third Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 29 June 2018 (Case R 2215/2016-3), relating to invalidity proceedings between Atos Medical and Andreas Fahl Medizintechnik-Vertrieb.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Atos Medical GmbH to pay the costs. |

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