Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 2 March 2022 –  
Fabryki Mebli “Forte” v EUIPO – Bog-Fran (Furniture)

(Case T‑1/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0001_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing an item of furniture – Ground for invalidity – No individual character – Article 6(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 – Disclosure of the earlier design – Article 7(1) of Regulation No 6/2002 – Decision adopted following the annulment by the General Court of an earlier decision – Res judicata)

| 1. | Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Scope – Absolute authority of res judicata – Scope – Both operative part and grounds to be taken into account  (Arts 264 and 266 TFEU)  (see paras 26, 27) |

| 2. | 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; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188)  (see para. 37) |

| 3. | Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Disclosure to the public – Proof of the disclosure  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 7(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 41, 42, 47, 50, 56, 57) |

| 4. | Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Disclosure to the public – Exception – Facts not reasonably capable of being known to specialist circles of the sector concerned  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 7(1) and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 48, 49) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment – Creative licence  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 67, 81) |

| 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 – Global assessment of all the elements of the earlier design  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 68, 75, 80) |

| 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 – Determination of the overall impression having regard to the manner of use of the product  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))  (see para. 76) |

| 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 an item of furniture  (Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6 and 25(1)(b))  (see paras 79, 82, 84, 86) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Fabryki Mebli “Forte” S.A. to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by Bog-Fran sp. z o.o. sp.k. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0001_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 62, 22.2.2021.](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:062:TOC)

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