Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2018:23
Date: 2018-01-23
Language of the case: English
Court formation: First Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded

Judgment of the General Court of 23 January 2018 — Wenger v EUIPO — Swissgear (SWISSGEAR) (Case T-869/16) 1 (EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark SWISSGEAR — Absolute grounds for refusal — No distinctive character — Descriptiveness — 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) and Article 76 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(a) and Article 95 of Regulation 2017/1001)) Language of the case: English Parties Applicant: Wenger SA (Delémont, Switzerland) (represented by: K. Ikas and A. Sulovsky, lawyers) Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: J. Ivanauskas, acting as Agent) Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Swissgear Sàrl (Baar, Switzerland) (represented by: J. Hacke, lawyer) Re: Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 20 September 2016 (Case R 2098/2015-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Swissgear and Wenger. Operative part of the judgment The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Wenger SA to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by Swissgear Sàrl. ____________ 1 OJ C 38, 6.2.2017.