Case fileDesign
Sanrio Co., Ltd. v. Tieshi Zheng (Registered Community Design)
Sanrio used its Hello Kitty trademark to knock out a registered EU design, not just another trademark.
Sanrio Co., Ltd. (invalidity applicant),
Plaintiff,
v.
Tieshi Zheng (design holder),
Defendant.
Docket No.Invalidity ICD 8 646; appeal R 1570/2012-3
CourtEUIPO Invalidity Division; Third Board of Appeal
Filed2011
StatusDecided
The record
- Court
- EUIPO Invalidity Division; Third Board of Appeal
- Jurisdiction
- European Union
- Docket No.
- Invalidity ICD 8 646; appeal R 1570/2012-3
- Filed
- 2011
- Resolved
- 2014
- Sanrio’s role
- Petitioner
- Type
- Design
- Claims
- Design invalidity, Art. 25(1)(e) CDR + Art. 9 CTMR (earlier Hello Kitty face device)
- Counsel — plaintiff/petitioner
- Boehmert & Boehmert
- Counsel — Sanrio side
- not public
What happened
Sanrio used its Hello Kitty trademark to knock out a registered EU design, not just another trademark.
Outcome
Design RCD 1 084 883-0001 declared invalid; the holder’s appeal was dismissed (3 Feb 2014) on “very high” visual similarity; holder to pay EUR 500. Sanrio won.
The legal nuance
Shows the mark reaching across IP types, from trademark into registered-design law.
Sources of record