Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2012:601
Date: 2012-11-15
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Eighth Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded;Action for annulment - decision unnecessary
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 15 November 2012 – Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter v OHIM (GG) (Case T-278/09) Community trade mark — Application for the Community collective word mark GG — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Lack of distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Obligation to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 1. Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 253 EC (Art. 253 EC; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence) (see para. 18) 2. Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of goods — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 35, 36) 3. Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of goods — Word mark GG (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c) (see paras 40-59) Re: ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 30 April 2009 (Case R 1568/2008-1), concerning an application for registration of the word sign GG as a Community trade mark. Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter eV to pay the costs.