Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2025:893
Date: 2025-09-24
Language of the case: English
Court formation: Second Chamber
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded;Action for annulment - inadmissible
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 24 September 2025 – Manufaktur Jörg Geiger v EUIPO – Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata ‘Prosecco’ (PriSecco) (Case T‑406/24) ( EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark PriSecco – Earlier PDO ‘Prosecco’ – Relative ground for invalidity – Article 8(4) and Article 53(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 – Article 103(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 – Concept of ‘evocation’ of a PDO ) 1. Agriculture – Common organisation of the markets – Wine – Designation and presentation of wines – Protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications – Protection – Misuse, imitation or evocation of a protected name – Evocation of a protected name – Concept – Criteria (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1308/2013, Art. 103(2)(b)) (see paragraphs 38-42) 2. EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade – Word mark PriSecco – Designation of origin Prosecco (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1308/2013, Art. 103(2)(b); Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(4) and 53(1)(c)) (see paragraphs 43, 45-49) 3. EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Modification of the terms of the dispute as brought before the Board of Appeal – Not permissible (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72) (see paragraph 50) Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Manufaktur Jörg Geiger GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata ‘Prosecco’; 3. Orders the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear its own costs.