62021TJ0552_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 1 March 2023 –Worldwide Brands v EUIPO – Wan (CAMEL)
(Case T‑552/21) (
1
)
(EU trade mark – Revocation proceedings – EU word mark CAMEL – Evidence submitted for the first time before the Board of Appeal – Article 95(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 27(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625 – Genuine use of the mark – Article 58(1)(a) of Regulation 2017/1001 – No assessment of some of the evidence submitted)
1.
Judicial proceedings – Production of evidence – Time limit – Evidence submitted out of time – Conditions – Decision-making practice of EUIPO which postdates the proceedings – Admissibility
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85(3))
(see paragraph 25)
2.
EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action brought against a decision by the Cancellation Division of EUIPO – Examination by the Board of Appeal – Scope – Evidence submitted for the first time before the Board of Appeal – Account taken – Discretion of the Board of Appeal – Limits
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(2); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(4))
(see paragraphs 34, 35)
3.
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 – Review of the legal classification given to the facts of the dispute
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(2))
(see paragraph 64)
4.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Definition – Criteria for assessment – Requirement for solid and objective evidence
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1)(a) and 58(1)(a); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 10(3) and 19(1))
(see paragraphs 69-72)
5.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Definition – Criteria for assessment
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1)(a) and 58(1)(a); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 10(3) and 19(1))
(see paragraph 88)
6.
EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a department of EUIPO ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))
(see paragraph 105)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 5 July 2021 (Case R 1548/2020-1) in so far as it maintained the registration of the EU trade mark in respect of ‘shirts’;
2.
Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Worldwide Brands, Inc. Zweigniederlassung Deutschland in the course of the proceedings before the Court;
3.
Orders Mr Eric Guangyu Wan to bear the costs he has incurred in the course of the proceedings before the Court.
(
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)	OJ C 431, 25.10.2021.