Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 24 September 2015 —
Klement v OHIM — Bullerjan (Form of an oven)
(Case T‑317/14)
Community trade mark — Revocation proceedings — Three-dimensional Community mark — Form of an oven — Genuine use of a mark — Article 15(1)(a) and Article 51(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Nature of use of the mark — Form differing in elements which do not alter the distinctive character
1.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Signs of which a trade mark may consist — Condition — Distinctive character (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 4) (see para. 18)
2.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Causes of revocation — Absence of genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1)(a), and 51(1)(a); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rules 22(3), and 40(5)) (see paras 21-23, 27-29)
3.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept — Registered mark used solely as an element of a composite mark or in combination with another mark — Three-dimensional mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 15(1)(a)) (see paras 30-37)
4.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Causes of revocation — Absence of genuine use of a trade mark — Use of the mark in a form differing by elements not altering the distinctive character of the mark — Three-dimensional mark constituted by the form of an oven used in conjunction with the word element ‘voxka’ (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1)(a), and 51(1)(a)) (see paras 38-42)
Re:
ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 27 February 2014 (Case R 1656/2013-1), relating to revocation proceedings between Mr Toni Klement and Bullerjan GmbH.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Toni Klement to pay the costs.