Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2024:695
Date: 2024-10-16
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Second Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 16 October 2024 – ePlus v EUIPO – Telefónica Germany (e.plus) (Case T‑604/23) (1) ( EU trade mark – Revocation proceedings – EU figurative mark e.plus – Genuine use – Article 58(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 ) 1. EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 –Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU (Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence) (see paragraphs 21, 22) 2. EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Decision of body of EUIPO forming part of the context of the decision of the Board of Appeal (Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence) (see paragraph 23) 3. Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons – Error of assessment – Distinction (Arts 263 and 296 TFEU) (see paragraph 24) 4. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use –Meaning – Criteria for assessment (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 58(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 34-37) Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders ePlus Inc., in addition to bearing its own costs, to pay those incurred by Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG; 3. Orders the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear its own costs. 1 OJ C, C/2023/775, 20.11.2023.