Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 6 April 2022 –Dorit-DFT v EUIPO – Erwin Suter (DORIT)
(Case T‑208/21) (1)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Word mark DORIT – Earlier national company names – Relative ground for refusal – No use in trade of a sign of more than mere local significance – Article 8(4) and Article 52(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 8(4) and Article 60(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 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. 17)
2.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of a non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade – Conditions – Interpretation in the light of EU law – Assessment by reference to the criteria determined by the national law governing the sign relied on
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(4) and 52(1)(c))
(see paras 21-23)
3.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of a non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade – Conditions – Local scope of sign – Items of evidence
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(4) and 52(1)(c))
(see paras 26, 49, 50)
4.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of a non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade – Use of the sign in trade – Temporal criterion
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(4) and 52(1)(c))
(see para. 28)
5.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of a non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade – Word mark DORIT and company names DORIT Fleischereimaschinen GmbH and DORIT – DFT Fleischereimaschinen GmbH
(Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(4) and 52(1)(c))
(see paras 31, 32, 43, 74)
6.      EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Probative value of the evidence – Solemn declarations
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 97(1)(f))
(see paras 56, 58)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Dorit-DFT Fleischereimaschinen GmbH to pay the costs.
1 OJ C 228, 14.6.2021.