Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 5 March 2020.Dekoback GmbH v European Union Intellectual Property Office.EU trade mark — Revocation proceedings — EU word mark DECOPAC — Genuine use of the mark — Article 51(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 58(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Evidence — Second sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now second sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Right to be heard.Case T-80/19.

Judgment // 05/03/2020 // 2 min read
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Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 5 March 2020 –Dekoback v EUIPO — DecoPac (DECOPAC)

(Case T‑80/19)

(EU trade mark — Revocation proceedings — EU word mark DECOPAC — Genuine use of the mark — Article 51 (1) (a) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 58 (1) (a) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Evidence — Second sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now second sentence of Article 94 (1) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Right to be heard)

  1. EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Decisions of EUIPO — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 63(2) and Art. 75, second sentence)

(see paras 33, 34, 39)

  1. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Definition — Assessment criteria

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rule 22(2))

(see paras 43-46, 62, 66, 70)

  1. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Definition — Assessment criteria — Determination of a minimal quantitative use threshold — Not included

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a))

(see paras 49, 50)

  1. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Causes of revocation — Absence of genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use — Genuine use — Definition — Assessment criteria — Company name, commercial name or trade name

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rule 22(2))

(see paras 60, 61)

  1. EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal — Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies — Not included

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(2))

(see para. 73)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 26 November 2018 (Case R 1795/2017-5), relating to revocation proceedings between Dekoback and DecoPac.

Operative part

The Court:

  1. Dismisses the action;

  2. Orders Dekoback GmbH to pay the costs.

Trade marks