62020TJ0486_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 19 October 2022 –H&H v EUIPO – Giuliani (Swisse)
(Case T‑486/20) (
1
)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU figurative mark Swisse – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Article 51(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 59(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – No distinctive character – Trade mark of such a nature as to deceive the public – State emblem – Trade mark including badges, emblems or escutcheons – Article 7(1)(b), (g), (h) and (i) of Regulation No 40/94 (now Article 7(1)(b), (g), (h) and (i) of Regulation 2017/1001) – Bad faith – Statement of reasons for the application for a declaration of invalidity – Article 63(2) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope of the examination which has to be carried out by EUIPO – Article 95(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Right to be heard – Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
1.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Separate examination of the grounds for refusal in relation to each of the goods or services covered by the application for registration – Interpretation of the grounds for refusal in the light of the public interest underlying each of them – Assessment of the distinctive character of a trade mark solely by analysing other absolute grounds for refusal – Not permissible – Lack of any arguments in relation to one of the absolute grounds for refusal compensated for by the overlap between those grounds – Not permissible
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 7(1)(b),(g),(h) and (i), and 51(1)(a))
(see paragraphs 58-66)
2.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Application for a declaration of invalidity – Determination of the grounds on which the application for a declaration of invalidity is based
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 63(2))
(see paragraph 70)
3.
EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Invalidity proceedings concerning absolute grounds for refusal – Examination restricted to the grounds submitted
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7, 59, 62 and 95(1))
(see paragraph 76)
4.
EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Duty of diligence
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(1); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1))
(see paragraph 77)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 25 May 2020 (Case R 2185/2019‑5);
2.
Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Health and Happiness (H&H) Hong Kong Ltd;
3.
Orders Giuliani SpA to bear its own costs.
(
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)	OJ C 320, 28.9.2020.