Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2017:913
Date: 2017-12-14
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Fourth Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court of 14 December 2017 — GeoClimaDesign v EUIPO — GEO (GEO) (Case T-280/16) 1 (EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark GEO — Absolute grounds for refusal — Distinctive character — Lack of 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) — Article 52(1)(a) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(a) of Regulation 2017/1001)) Language of the case: German Parties Applicant: GeoClimaDesign AG (Fürstenwalde/Spree, Germany) (represented by: B. Lanz, lawyer) Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: A. Schifko, acting as Agent) Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO: GEO Gesellschaft für Energie und Oekologie GmbH (Langenhorn, Germany) Re: Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 29 March 2016 (Case R 1679/2015-4) relating to invalidity proceedings between GEO and GeoClimaDesign. Operative part of the judgment The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders GeoClimaDesign AG to pay the costs. ____________ 1 OJ C 260, 18.7.2016.