Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2000:247
Date: 2000-10-26
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Concepts: Marks devoid of any distinctive character
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Germany

Summary of the Judgment 
Community trade mark — Definition of a Community trade mark and obtaining a 
Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any 
distinctive character — 'Investorworld' 
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 7(1)(b)) 
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SUMMARY — CASE T-360/99 
Under Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 
No 40/94 on the Community trade mark, 
'trade marks which are devoid of any 
distinctive character' are not to be regis­
tered. In that regard, the word 'Investor-
world', registration of which has been 
applied for in respect of the services 
'insurance; financial affairs; monetary 
affairs; real estate affairs', is not capable 
of being registered as a Community trade 
mark since it is devoid of any distinctive 
character. 'Investor' implies that the ser­
vices designated are aimed at investors. The 
addition to that word of 'world' does not 
add any further feature such as to render 
the sign as a whole capable of distinguish­
ing the services of the applicant from those 
of other undertakings. Constituted as it is, 
the sign merely refers to the 'world of the 
investor', meaning that the services in 
question relate to anything which might 
be of some interest to an investor. 
(see paras 21-22, 24-25) 
II - 3546