Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 11 November 2004 in Case C-216/02 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgerichtshof): Österreichischer Zuchtverband für Ponys, Kleinpferde und Spezialrassen v Burgenländische Landesregierung (Free movement of goods — Intra-Community trade in equidæ — Procedure for the approval or recognition of organisations and associations which maintain or establish stud-books for registered equidæ — Article 2(2) of Decision 92/353/EEC)
Date: 2005-01-08
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: animal breeding, association, dissemination of information, equidae, interpretation of the law, zoology

8.1.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 6/5

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(First Chamber)

of 11 November 2004

(Grand Chamber)

of 16 November 2004

in Case C-216/02 (reference for a preliminary ruling from
the Verwaltungsgerichtshof): Österreichischer Zuchtver-
band für Ponys, Kleinpferde und Spezialrassen v Burgen-
ländische Landesregierung (1)

(Free movement of goods — Intra-Community trade in
equidæ — Procedure for the approval or recognition of orga-
nisations and associations which maintain or establish stud-
books for registered equidæ — Article 2(2) of Decision
92/353/EEC)

in Case C-245/02 (reference for a preliminary ruling from
the Korkein oikeus): Anheuser-Busch Inc v Budějovický
Budvar, národní podnik (1)

(Agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation —
Articles 2(1), 16(1) and 70 of the TRIPs Agreement —
Trade marks — Scope of the proprietor's exclusive right to
the trade mark — Alleged use of the sign as a trade name)

(2005/C 6/07)

(Language of the case: German)

(2005/C 6/08)

(Language of the case: Finnish)

(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published in
the European Court Reports)

In Case C-216/02: reference for a preliminary ruling under
(Austria),
Article 234 EC from the Verwaltungsgerichtshof
made by decision of 23 May 2002, received at the Court on 12
June 2002, in the proceedings between Österreichischer Zucht-
verband für Ponys, Kleinpferde und Spezialrassen and Burgen-
ländische Landesregierung, and Österreichischer Shetlandpony-
(First Chamber),
zuchtverband (intervener) – the Court
composed of: P.
Jann, President of the Chamber, A. Rosas
(Rapporteur) and R. Silva de Lapuerta, Judges; D. Ruiz-Jarabo
Colomer, Advocate General; M.-F. Contet, Principal Adminis-
trator, has given a judgment on 11 November 2004, in which
it has ruled:

1. On a proper construction of the first indent of Article 2(2) of
Commission Decision 92/353/EEC of 11 June 1992 laying
down the criteria for the approval or recognition of organisations
and associations which maintain or establish stud-books for regis-
tered equidæ, where one or more of the circumstances mentioned in
that provision is or are proved to exist, organisations or associa-
tions already officially recognised or approved in respect of a breed
of equidæ are not entitled to demand of the competent authorities
that the latter should refuse to recognise or approve a new associa-
tion or organisation maintaining or establishing stud-books for
the same breed.

2. It

is not contrary to Community law for the legislation of a
Member State to deprive associations and organisations already in
existence, which have submitted observations opposing the recogni-
tion of a new association or organisation, of a judicial means of
obtaining redress challenging the competent national authorities'
decision to grant recognition.

(1) OJ C 191 of 10.8.2002.

In Case C-245/02: reference for a preliminary ruling under
Article 234 EC from the Korkein oikeus (Finland), made by
decision of 3 July 2002, received at the Court on 5 July 2002,
in the proceedings between Anheuser-Busch Inc and Budějo-
vický Budvar, národní podnik - the Court (Grand Chamber),
composed of: V. Skouris, President, P. Jann, C.W.A. Timmer-
mans (Rapporteur), A. Rosas and R. Silva de Lapuerta (Presi-
dents of Chambers), C. Gulmann, R. Schintgen, N. Colneric, S.
von Bahr, J.N. Cunha Rodrigues and K. Schiemann, Judges; A.
Tizzano, Advocate General; M. Múgica Arzamendi, Principal
Administrator, for the Registrar, has given a judgment on 16
November 2004, in which it has ruled:

1. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPs Agreement), as set out in Annex 1 C to the Agree-
ment establishing the World Trade Organisation, approved on
behalf of the European Community, as regards matters within its
competence, by Council Decision 94/800/EC of 22 December
1994, applies in the event of a conflict between a trade mark and
a sign alleged to infringe that trade mark where that conflict arose
before the date of application of
the TRIPs Agreement but
continued beyond that date.

2. A trade name may constitute a sign within the meaning of the
first sentence of Article 16(1) of the Agreement on Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs Agreement). That
provision is intended to confer on the proprietor of a trade mark
the exclusive right to prevent a third party from using such a sign
if the use in question prejudices or is liable to prejudice the func-
tions of the trade mark, in particular its essential function of guar-
anteeing to consumers the origin of the goods.

The exceptions provided for in Article 17 of the Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of
(TRIPs
Agreement) are intended, inter alia, to enable a third party to use
a sign which is identical or similar to a trade mark to indicate his
trade name, provided that such use is in accordance with honest
practices in industrial or commercial matters.

Intellectual Property Rights