Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 26 July 2023 –Yayla Türk v EUIPO – Marmara Import-Export (Sütat)
(Case T‑315/22) (1)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark Sütat – Absolute ground for invalidity – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Right to be heard)
1.      Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Pleas in law not set out in the application – Reference to statement submitted to the Board of Appeal reproduced in the application – Inadmissibility – Re-use, in the application, of certain passages from written submissions lodged with the Board of Appeal – Admissibility
(Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))
(see paragraphs 21, 23)
2.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Concept
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 7(1)(c))
(see paragraphs 29, 30, 58)
3.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Assessment of the descriptive character of a sign – Criteria – Breakdown of a word sign into word elements having concrete significance
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 7(1)(c))
(see paragraphs 31, 38, 50, 59, 61, 76)
4.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Word mark Sütat
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 7(1)(c))
(see paragraphs 39-41, 52-54, 66, 68)
5.      EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Decisions of EUIPO – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), second sentence)
(see paragraphs 80, 82)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Yayla Türk Lebensmittelvertrieb GmbH to pay the costs.
1 OJ C 276, 18.7.2022.