Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 12 October 2022 –  
L. Oliva Torras v EUIPO – Mecánica del Frío (Vehicle couplings)

(Case T‑652/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0652_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing a coupling for connecting refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment to a motor vehicle – Grounds for invalidity – Novelty – Individual character – Articles 5 and 6 and Article 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 – Disclosure of the earlier design – Article 7 of Regulation No 6/2002 – Scope of the application for a declaration of invalidity – Earlier design produced after the filing of the application for a declaration of invalidity – Article 28(1)(b)(i), (v) and (vi) of Regulation (EC) No 2245/2002)

| 1. | Community designs – Surrender and invalidity – Application for a declaration of invalidity – Examination of the application – EUIPO’s competence 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), and 63(1), 2nd sentence)  (see paragraphs 29, 30) |

| 2. | Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – Lack of novelty – Prior disclosure of identical design – Proof of the disclosure  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 5(1)(b), and 7(1); Commission Regulation No 2245/2002, Art. 28(1)(b)(v) and (vi))  (see paragraphs 52, 57) |

| 3. | Community designs – Surrender and invalidity – Application for a declaration of invalidity based on the existence of an earlier design – Burden of proof – Requirements relating to the reproduction of the earlier design  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 52(2) and 63(1); Commission Regulation No 2245/2002, Art. 28(1)(b)(i), (v) and (vi))  (see paragraphs 56, 62, 63) |

| 4. | Community designs – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Facts and evidence not submitted in time – Account taken – Earlier design produced after the filing of the application for a declaration of invalidity – Not included  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 52(2) and 63(2); Commission Regulation No 2245/2002, Art. 28(1)(b)(i), (v) and (vi))  (see paragraphs 64, 65) |

| 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, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paragraph 85) |

| 6. | 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 paragraphs 86, 87) |

| 7. | 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(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 88, 89) |

| 8. | 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 a coupling for connecting refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment to a motor vehicle  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 94-98) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders L. Oliva Torras, S.A., to bear its own costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0652_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 481, 29.11.2021](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:481:TOC).

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