Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 26 March 2014 — Still v OHIM (Fleet Data Services and Truck Data Services)
(Joined Cases T‑534/12 and T‑535/12)
Community Trade Mark — Applications for registration of the Community figurative marks Fleet Data Services and Truck Data Services — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptiveness — Absence of any distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Right to be heard — Article 75, second sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009
1.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see para. 11)
2.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Assessment of distinctive character (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see para. 12)
3.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Composite mark — Need to take account of the overall perception of the combination by the relevant public (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 20, 21)
4.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Figurative marks Fleet Data Services and Truck Data Services (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 22-26)
5.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Decisions of the Office — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75) (see paras 31, 32)
Re:
Two actions brought against two decisions of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 10 September 2012 (Case R 130/2012‑1 and Case R 4/2012‑1), concerning applications for registration, first, of the figurative sign Fleet Data Services and, secondly, the figurative sign Truck Data Services as Community trade marks.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the actions;
2.
Orders Still GmbH to pay the costs.