Judgment of the General Court of 21 May 2015 — Senz Technologies BV v OHIM — Impliva (Umbrellas)
(Case T-2/13 and T-23/13) 1
(Community design — Invalidity proceedings — Registered Community design representing umbrellas — Grounds for invalidity — Disclosure of earlier design — American patent as earlier design — Circles specialised in the sector concerned — Informed user — Degree of attention of an informed user — Fashion accessories — Degree of freedom of the designer — Individual character — Different overall impression — Invalidity proceedings)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Senz Technologies BV (Delft (Netherlands)) (represented initially by: W. Hoyng and C. Zeri, and subsequently by W. Hoyng and I. de Bruijn, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented initially by: F. Mattina, and subsequently by A. Folliard-Monguiral, acting as Agents)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervening before the General Court: Impliva BV (Mijdrecht (Netherlands)) (represented by: C. Gielen and A. Verschuur, lawyers)
Re:
Actions brought against two decisions of the Third Board of Appeal of OHIM of 26 September 2012 (Cases R 2453/2010-3 and R 2459/2010-3), in relation to invalidity proceedings between Impliva BV and Senz Technologies BV.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Annuls the decisions of the Third Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 26 September 2012 (Cases R 2453/2010-3 and R 2459/2010-3);
Orders Impliva BV to bear its own costs and to pay one third of the costs of Senz Technologies BV;
Orders Senz Technologies to bear two thirds of its own costs;
4. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs.
________________________1 OJ C 101, 6.4.2013.