Information;Order — ECLI:EU:T:2022:859
Date: 2022-12-20
Language of the case: Italian
Court formation: Third Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - inadmissible
Origin: Italy

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 29 November 2023 – Piaggio & C. v EUIPO – Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group (Shape of a scooter) (Case T‑19/22) (1) ( EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – Three-dimensional EU trade mark – Shape of a scooter – Absolute ground for invalidity – No distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Distinctive character acquired through use – Article 7(3) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(3) of Regulation 2017/1001) ) 1. EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Legality of the decision of a Board of Appeal – Account taken, for the purposes of applying EU law, of national legislation, case-law or academic writing – Whether permissible (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65) (see paragraph 22) 2. 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) (see paragraph 24) 3. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Three-dimensional trade marks consisting of the shape of the product itself – Distinctive character – Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(b) and 52(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 35-40) 4. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Three-dimensional mark consisting of the shape of a scooter (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(b) and 52(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 54, 56-60) 5. EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Invalidity proceedings concerning absolute grounds for refusal – Presumption of validity of the registered mark – Obligation for EUIPO to examine the facts of its own motion – Limit (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 52, 55 and 76(1)) (see paragraphs 65-67) 6. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Exception – Distinctive character acquired through use – Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(3) and 52(2)) (see paragraphs 78-82, 90, 96) 7. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Exception – Distinctive character acquired through use – Scope – Trade mark devoid of distinctive character throughout the European Union – Acquisition through use also throughout the European Union (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(3) and 52(2)) (see paragraph 83) 8. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Exception – Distinctive character acquired through use – Probative value of the evidence (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(3) and 52(2)) (see paragraphs 84-88, 98, 115, 116) 9. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Exception – Distinctive character acquired through use – Three-dimensional mark consisting of the shape of a scooter (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(3) and 52(2)) (see paragraphs 105, 109, 113, 117-119) Operative part The Court: 1. Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 25 October 2021 (Case R 359/2021-5); 2. Orders EUIPO and Zhejiang Zhongneng Industry Group Co. Ltd to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by Piaggio & C. SpA. 1 OJ C 95, 28.2.2022.