62024TJ0323_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 14 May 2025 –Visable v EUIPO (Europages)
(Case T-323/24)
(EU trade mark – Application for the EU word mark Europages – Absolute ground for refusal – No distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)
1.
EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Concept of distinctiveness
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))
(see paragraphs 12, 28)
2.
EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Assessment of distinctive character – Criteria
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))
(see paragraphs 13, 14, 29, 30)
3.
EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Separate examination of the grounds for refusal in relation to each of the goods or services covered by the application for registration – Obligation to state the reasons for refusing to register – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)
(see paragraphs 31-35)
4.
EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of any distinctive character – Word mark Europages
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))
(see paragraphs 54-61)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 18 April 2024 (Case R 34/2024-2) in so far as it concerns the services in Class 35, with the exception of ‘Collecting, systemising, updating and sharing economic and business information and/or company data and company information; Provision of information relating to economic data and business information and/or company data and company information; Provision of business information on the Internet in relation to economic data and economic information; Systemisation and compilation of information relating to offers and inquiries for company data, goods and services in computer databases; Arranging commercial transactions for others’, and also in respect of the services in Class 38 and Class 42, with the exception of ‘Electronic storage of economic and/or company data and information’;
2.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
3.
Orders each party to bear its own costs.