Judgment of the General Court of 23 July 2025 – Glaxo Group v EUIPO – Cipla Europe (Shape of an inhaler)
(Case T-432/24) 1
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – Three-dimensional EU trade mark – Shape of an inhaler – Absolute ground for invalidity – No distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) and Article 51(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 – No distinctive character acquired through use – Article 7(3) and Article 51(2) of Regulation No 40/94 – Decision adopted following the annulment by the General Court of an earlier decision – Res judicata – Article 72(6) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Glaxo Group Ltd (Brentford, United Kingdom) (represented by: T. de Haan, F. Verhoestraete and S. Vandezande, lawyers)
Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: E. Markakis, acting as Agent)
Re:
By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment and alteration of the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 10 June 2024 (Case R 1835/2016-2).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders Glaxo Group Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Cipla Europe NV;
Orders the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear its own costs.
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1     OJ C, C/2024/5657, 30.9.2024.