Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2019:516
Date: 2019-07-12
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Fifth Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 12 July 2019 – mobile.de v EUIPO — Droujestvo S Ogranichena Otgovornost “Rezon” (mobile.ro) (Case T‑412/18) (EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark mobile.ro — Earlier national figurative mark mobile — Genuine use of the earlier mark — Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001) 1. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Use of the mark in a form differing by elements not altering the distinctive character of the mark — Purpose and scope of Article 18(1), 2nd paragraph (a) of Regulation 2017/1001 (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1), 2nd para. (a) and 64(2)) (see paras 25, 26) 2. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Use of the mark in a form differing by elements not altering the distinctive character of the mark — Figurative mark mobile (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1), 2nd para., (a) and 64(2) and (3)) (see paras 29, 34, 36, 37, 55) 3. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Meaning — Criteria for assessment (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1), 2nd para., (a) and 64(2); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rules 22(3) and 40(6)) (see paras 40, 41) 4. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative marks mobile.ro and mobile (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paras 57-62) Re: Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 29 March 2018 (Case R 111/2015-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between Droujestvo S Ogranichena Otgovornost ‘Rezon’ and mobile.de. Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders mobile.de GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by Droujestvo S Ogranichena Otgovornost ‘Rezon’.