Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 20 March 2018.Webgarden Szolgáltató és Kereskedelmi Kft. v European Union Intellectual Property Office.EU trade mark — Application for EU figurative mark Dating Bracelet — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Previous EUIPO practice — Equal treatment — Legal certainty.Case T-272/17.

Judgment // 20/03/2018 // 2 min read
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Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 20 March 2018 — Webgarden v EUIPO (Dating Bracelet)

(Case T‑272/17)

(EU trade mark — Application for EU figurative mark Dating Bracelet — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Previous EUIPO practice — Equal treatment — Legal certainty)

  1. Judicial proceedings—Application initiating proceedings—Formal requirements—Identification of the subject-matter of the dispute—Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based

(Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))

(see para. 15)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Aim—Need to preserve availability

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see para. 24)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Meaning

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 26, 27, 42)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign—Criteria

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 28, 29, 60)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Figurative mark Dating Bracelet

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 53, 61, 62, 73)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Overlapping of the scope of the grounds set out in Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))

(see para. 64)

  1. EU trade mark—Decisions of the Office—Principle of equal treatment—Principle of sound administration—EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice—Principle of legality—Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case

(Council Regulation No 207/2009)

(see paras 70, 71, 74)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 1 March 2017 (Case R 658/2016-5), concerning an application for registration of the figurative sign Dating Bracelet as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

  1. Dismisses the action;

  2. Orders Webgarden Szolgáltató és Kereskedelmi Kft. to pay the costs.

Trade marks