Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 1 December 2021 –
Jieyang Defa Industry v EUIPO – Mattel (Doll’s Head)

(Case T‑84/21)

(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered Community design representing a doll’s head – Earlier design – Ground for invalidity – No individual character – Degree of freedom of the designer – No different overall impression – Articles 6 and 25(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)

1.      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

(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))

(see para. 22)

2.      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 paras 25, 26)

3.      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(2) and 25(1)(b))

(see paras 31, 32, 38, 39, 64)

4.      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 doll’s head

(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 6(1) and 25(1)(b))

(see paras 41, 51, 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 para. 42)

6.      Community designs – Conditions for protection – Visibility of aspects of the product represented by the design

(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Recital 12 and Art. 4)

(see para. 54)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Third Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 14 December 2020 (Case R 2021/2019-3), relating to invalidity proceedings between Mattel and Jieyang Defa Industry Co.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Jieyang Defa Industry Co. Ltd to pay the costs.