62016TJ0872_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 28 April 2021 –repowermap.org v EUIPO – Repower (REPOWER)
(Case T‑872/16)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Word mark REPOWER – Absolute ground for invalidity – Descriptive character – No distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Obligation to state reasons – Right to be heard – Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94 of Regulation 2017/1001) – Freedom of expression)
1.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Concept
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))
(see paras 36, 38-40, 44, 45)
2.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Aim – Need to preserve availability
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))
(see para. 37)
3.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Word mark REPOWER
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))
(see paras 46, 50, 58, 65, 70, 77, 83, 88, 93, 94, 107)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 26 September 2016 (Case R 2311/2014-5) relating to invalidity proceedings between repowermap.org and Repower.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Alters the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 26 September 2016 (Case R 2311/2014-5) in such a way as to cancel the contested mark with respect to the following services:
–
Class 37: ‘Services of heating engineers’;
–
Class 42: ‘Scientific services and research and development relating thereto; industrial research and analyses’;
2.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
3.
Orders repowermap.org to pay, in addition to its own costs, those incurred by EUIPO and Repower AG.