Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2016:395
Date: 2016-07-07
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Eighth Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - successful

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 7 July 2016 — Fruit of the Loom v EUIPO — Takko (FRUIT) (Case T‑431/15) EU trade mark — Revocation proceedings — EU word mark FRUIT — Genuine use of a mark — Article 15 and Article 51(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — External use of the mark 1. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1), and 51(1)(a); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rules 22(2), and 40(5)) (see paras 20-23, 25-28, 48-50, 52, 58-63, 78) 2. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept — Criteria for assessment — Requirement of solid and objective evidence (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1), and 51(1)(a); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rules 22(2), and 40(5)) (see para. 24) 3. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Causes of revocation — Absence of genuine use of a trade mark — Word mark FRUIT (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1), and 51(1)) (see paras 51, 57, 64, 73-77, 79-86) Re: ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 12 May 2015 (Case R 1641/2014-2) relating to revocation proceedings between Takko Holding and Fruit of the Loom. Operative part The Court: 1. Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 12 May 2015 (Case R 1641/2014-2); 2. Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those of Fruit of the Loom, Inc.