Judgment;Information — ECLI:EU:T:2020:425
Date: 2020-09-23
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Third Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 23 September 2020 – PE Digital v EUIPO – Spark Networks Services (ElitePartner) (Case T‑36/19) (EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – Figurative EU trade mark ElitePartner – Absolute grounds for refusal – No distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons) 1. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Meaning – Criteria for assessment (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 31, 32) 2. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Marks consisting of advertising slogans – Laudatory promotional formula (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 33, 35) 3. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Marks consisting of advertising slogans – Distinctive character – Application of specific criteria for assessment – Inadmissibility (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see para. 34) 4. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Concept (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 36, 38, 48, 49, 57) 5. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Aim – Need to preserve availability (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see para. 37) 6. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Figurative mark ElitePartner (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 50, 58, 59, 78) 7. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Assessment of the registrability of a sign – Account taken only of EU rules – Decisions of national authorities not binding on EU bodies (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001) (see para. 62) 8. EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Exception – Distinctive character acquired through use – Trade mark devoid of distinctive character throughout the EU – Acquisition by use also throughout the EU (European Parliament and Council Regulation, Art. 7(3)) (see para. 65) 9. European Union trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the European Union trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Criteria (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 70, 71) 10. EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of the EUIPO’s own motion – Invalidity proceedings concerning absolute grounds for refusal – Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided – Account taken of well-known facts (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7(1), 59(1)(a) and 95(1)) (see para. 81) 11. European Union trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation No 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU (Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001, Art 94(1), first sentence) (see para. 102) Re: Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 25 October 2018 (Case R 614/2017-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between Spark Networks Services and PE Digital. Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders PE Digital GmbH to pay the costs, including those incurred by Spark Networks Services GmbH in the proceedings before the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).