Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 18 May 2022 –
Domator24.com Paweł Nowak v EUIPO – Siwek and Didyk (Armchair)

(Case T‑256/21) ( 1 )

(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered community design representing an armchair – Earlier community design – Proof of disclosure – Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 – Ground for invalidity – No individual character – Article 25(1)(b) and Article 6(1)(b) of Regulation No 6/2002)

1. 

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 – Events taking place outside the EU – Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 7(1) and 25(1)(b))

(see paras 23, 24, 33)

2. 

Judicial proceedings – Proof – Probative value – Criteria for assessment – Principles of the unfettered adduction of evidence and the unfettered evaluation of evidence

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85)

(see para. 30)

3. 

Community designs – Grounds for invalidity – No individual character – Disclosure to the public – Proof of the disclosure – Content of a website

(Council Regulation No 6/2002, Arts 7(1) and 25(1)(b))

(see para. 31)

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 an armchair

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

(see paras 32, 36, 37, 50, 56, 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 – Criteria for assessment – Creative licence

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

(see paras 44, 46, 53, 54)

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(1) and 25(1)(b))

(see paras 58, 59)

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

Dismisses the action;

2. 

Orders Domator24.com Paweł Nowak to pay the costs.


( 1 ) OJ C 278, 12.7.2021.