Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 8 October 2025 – Capella v EUIPO – Richemont International (COLORATURA)
(Case T‑562/24)
( EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark COLORATURA – Earlier national word mark COLORATURA – Priority claim – Concept of ‘first application’ – Article 34(1) and (4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Legal certainty – Reasonable time )
1.      EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)
(see paragraphs 17, 21)
2.      EU trade mark – Proceedings before the adjudicating bodies of EUIPO – Obligation of EUIPO, including the Boards of Appeal, to adopt decisions within a reasonable time
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(1); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)
(see paragraphs 25-27)
3.      EU trade mark – Lodging of application for EU trade mark – Right of priority – Trade mark application accompanied by a claim for priority – Examination of the formal and substantive conditions by EUIPO – Priority date entered on the register – Effect
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8 and 34 to 36)
(see paragraphs 36, 56-60)
4.      International agreements – Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property – Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of International Property Rights (TRIPs) – Direct effect – None – Interpretation consistent with EU law – Limits
(TRIPs Agreement, Art. 2(1); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)
(see paragraphs 47, 48, 50)
5.      EU trade mark – Lodging of application for EU trade mark – Right of priority – Impossibility for an operator to rely directly on the Paris Convention
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 34)
(see paragraph 49)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Capella EOOD to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Richemont International SA;
3.
Declares that the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is to bear its own costs.