Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 5 October 2020 –nanoPET Pharma v EUIPO – Miltenyi Biotec (viscover)
(Case T‑264/19)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU figurative mark viscover – Absence of bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 2017/1001) – Article 53(2)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 60(2)(c) of Regulation 2017/1001))
1.      EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal – Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies – Precluded
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)
(see para. 19)
2.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration – Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign – Intention of the applicant – Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application – Origin of the sign at issue and its use since its creation
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))
(see paras 32-39)
3.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Figurative mark viscover
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))
(see paras 64, 65, 72, 84, 94)
4.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Invalidity action based on the existence of an earlier national right – Burden of proof
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 53(2)(c); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 37)
(see para. 93)
5.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Examination of the application – Proof of use of the earlier mark – Probative value of the evidence – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 57(2) and (3))
(see para. 97)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 17 January 2019 (Case R 1288/2017-5), concerning invalidity proceedings between nanoPET Pharma and Miltenyi Biotec.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders nanoPET Pharma GmbH to pay the costs.