Case T-750/21: Judgment of the General Court of 22 March 2023 — Beauty Biosciences v EUIPO — Société de Recherche Cosmétique (BIO-BEAUTÉ) (EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark BIO-BEAUTÉ — Absolute grounds for refusal — Descriptiveness — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — No distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Distinctive character acquired through use — Article 7(3) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(3) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Article 52(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Obligation to state reasons — Article 75, first sentence of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94(1), first sentence of Regulation 2017/1001))
Date: 2023-03-22
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU trade mark, cosmetic product, registered trade mark, trade-mark law








C_2023179EN.01003701.xml










22.5.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 179/37






Judgment of the General Court of 22 March 2023 — Beauty Biosciences v EUIPO — Société de Recherche Cosmétique (BIO-BEAUTÉ)
(Case T-750/21) (1)

(EU trade mark - Invalidity proceedings - EU word mark BIO-BEAUTÉ - Absolute grounds for refusal - Descriptiveness - Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) - No distinctive character - Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001) - Distinctive character acquired through use - Article 7(3) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(3) of Regulation 2017/1001) - Article 52(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation 2017/1001) - Obligation to state reasons - Article 75, first sentence of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94(1), first sentence of Regulation 2017/1001))
(2023/C 179/53)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Beauty Biosciences LLC (Dallas, Texas, United States) (represented by: D. Mărginean, lawyer)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: G. Sakalaitė-Orlovskienė and R. Raponi, acting as Agents)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Société de Recherche Cosmétique SARL (Luxembourg, Luxembourg) (represented by: P. Wilhelm, lawyer)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment and the alteration of the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 28 September 2021 (Joined Cases R 1871/2020-4 and R 1891/2020-4).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 28 September 2021 (Joined Cases R 1871/2020-4 and R 1891/2020-4) in so far as it concerns ‘perfumes, toilet water, eau de Cologne; essential oils; incense, perfume water’ and ‘dentifrices’;










2.


Dismisses the action as to the remainder;










3.


Orders each party to bear its own costs incurred in the course of the proceedings before the General Court.






(1)  OJ C 51, 31.1.2022.