Judgment of the General Court of 9 September 2011 - Kwang Yang Motor Co. v OHIM - Honda Giken Kogyo (An internal combustion engine with the vent on the top)
(Community design - Invalidity proceedings - Registered Community design representing an internal combustion engine with the vent on the top - Earlier national design - Ground for invalidity - No individual character - Visible features of a component part of a complex product - No different overall impression - Informed user - Degree of freedom of the designer - Articles 4, 6 and 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Kwang Yang Motor Co. (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) (represented by: P. Rath, W. Festl-Wietek and M. Wetzel, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: G. Schneider, Agent)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervener before the General Court: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, Japan) (represented by T. Musmann, H. Timmann, M. Büttner and S. von Petersdorff-Campen, lawyers)
Re:
ACTION brought against the decision of 8 October 2007 of the Third Board of Appeal of OHIM (Case R 1337/2006-3), relating to invalidity proceedings for Community designs between Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha and Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1. Dismisses the action;
2. Orders Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd to pay the costs.
____________1 - OJ C 64, 8.3.2008.